


Vampire Hunter D: Stolen Sunlight

by Chaosmoon75 (Chaosmoon)



Category: Vampire Hunter D (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, F/M, Time Skips, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-04 08:38:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 92,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15837684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaosmoon/pseuds/Chaosmoon75
Summary: Leigh is an empath from the modern world.  To her, the Vampire Hunter D books are some of her favorite, but that was all they were.  After an interesting encounter she wakes to find herself in wholly unfamiliar surroundings.  How will she handle finding out that not only is she far from home, but also in a world she never thought she would be forced to face?  When D comes face to face with her, how will he handle the displaced woman?  Will Leigh be able to survive long enough to make it back, if it is possible at all?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a cross post from FF.net. It is already complete, but I am working on several edits. I will be posting it all as soon as I get them finished, so it shouldn't be more than a day or so before all chapters are up. I hope you enjoy!

## Chapter 1

Leigh was trying to successfully lose herself in the back of the crowded flea market.  She had agreed to come with her only two friends since it was their first day off at the same time in almost a month.  Unfortunately for her, spots like that always gave her problems.  Her friends thought she had anxiety issues when she was around a lot of people and she was happy to let them believe it.  Trying to explain the real reason was difficult at best and she really liked Aimee and Tyne.

She could still see her two friends a few stalls over, but she had wandered further away from the bulk of people.  She had always been ‘blessed’ with the ability to feel what other people were feeling.  It wasn’t exactly the same thing as reading minds but when people were excited or angry it may as well have been.

As she randomly looked around her though she found it might be her lucky day.  The stall she wandered into was packed full of all the cheesy stuff she loved shuffling through.  Most of it was usually junk but she enjoyed looking through the crystal jewelry, random books, and tarot card packs anyway. 

It wasn’t that she identified as a wiccan or anything, if anyone asked she would tell them she was agnostic, but there was always a pull to the unknown.  Most days Aimee and Tyne would tease her about letting her inner goth out, but Leigh was alright with it.  They liked her anyway.  It was pretty hard to find people as chill as the two of them.  Leigh looked around for her two friends to find they were both already out of sight, but she wasn’t in any hurry to try to find them.  She decided it could wait until she looked around a little at least.

As she perused the various wares something shiny caught her eye and she turned to see a large basket full of stones and crystals.  She smiled as she shifted to sort through them.  There were the standard quartz crystals that were found in every place like that and a few other pretty variations but not a lot that she hadn’t seen before.

She was totally absorbed in her search for a new trinket when she felt a hand on her shoulder.  She dropped the stones in her hand and had to cover her own mouth to stifle her scream.  She could usually feel people before they ever got close enough to touch her, even when she was distracted, so being surprised threw her off guard.

She almost knocked the woman over in her rush to see who it was.  She had to take a couple of deep breaths before she was calm enough to apologize.  “I am so sorry!  I didn’t hear you come up and you surprised me.  I’ll pick these up right away!”

She didn’t even give the woman a chance to respond before she knelt down and started picking up the stones she had dropped.  When she stood back up with her handful of stones she was surprised to see a warm smile on the woman’s face.

“I am the one who should apologize for sneaking up on you.  I’m sure you aren’t used to it but thank you for cleaning that up.  As thanks, would you care to see some of the things that I had kept back for my upcoming show in Austin?  I make jewelry as well.” 

Leigh barely had a chance to understand what the woman was asking but once she mentioned jewelry it had her attention.  It was hit or miss with handmade pieces, but if you found a real artist some could be fantastic.  Leigh like to look at least.  Most of the time the prices were ridiculously expensive for the good stuff though.

“Thank you!  I would really appreciate it.  I want to apologize for the mess again though.”  The stall owner had already gone behind all her items and Leigh could barely see her, but she could see her absently wave her hand over her shoulder in a shooing motion.

“No harm done.  Ah, here we are.  This is my latest piece and I think it would suit you.  What do you think?”

Leigh was mesmerized.  It was a pendant that looked to have a crystal base, but it was an unusual color.  It was completely clear but also dark red.  It almost looked like a ruby, but it was far too large.

It was set on what looked to be a cross except it had two horizontal ties instead of one and there was a sinewy dragon wrapped around the whole thing.  She had already started to reach for it before she thought to ask if it were ok.

The metal was surprisingly not cold but that could have been because it had recently been handled.  Leigh couldn’t stop staring.  It took several moments before she was able to pull her gaze back to the woman behind the counter.

“This is gorgeous.  The detail on the dragon is impressive and I’ve never seen a crystal this color before.” 

“The stone is a heart stone.  You don’t really see them very often anymore.”  Leigh grinned at the woman’s fancy name for the odd colored stone.  It suited it well though.

It was evident that she was excited about the piece, but she had to remind herself that she probably couldn’t afford it anyway.  With that thought she tried to hand the pendant back.  Before she could release it though the woman had wrapped her fingers back around it.

“I told you I thought it would suit you.  Please, won’t you think about keeping it?”

Leigh really wanted to, but she was afraid to ask the cost, especially after the woman made a scene of asking her to keep it.  She had to find out though.  “How much is it?”

The woman looked confused for a moment but then her eyebrows raised, and she nodded as if she finally understood.  “Well… I can sell it to you for… hmmm… how about $15?”

Leigh did a double take, she wasn’t sure she heard correctly.  “Did you say $15, as in one five?”  The woman nodded back with a smile.  Leigh couldn’t believe it.  A piece that detailed would normally sell for over a hundred, even if the crystal wasn’t anything special.  The handiwork on the metal craft was phenomenal.

For that price there was no way Leigh was going to pass on it.  She pulled her wallet out of her pocket.  She hated carrying a purse and that was a workable solution since she didn’t carry a lot of cash, or anything else for that matter.  She thumbed through the contents and pulled out the twenty she kept folded behind her ID for emergencies.  She would have to remember to replace it.

She handed it to the woman and couldn’t help the grin as she took her change.  Before she could leave though the woman held out her hand once more.  “Would you allow me to help put it on?”

Leigh handed her the pendant, so she could help.  She quickly turned and lifted her heavy curls with her right hand.  While Leigh held up her own hair the woman pulled the necklace up and had it fastened shortly.  The pendant felt warm against Leigh’s chest, but she barely noticed.  She was too excited about her amazing find.  She couldn’t wait to show it off.  Once it was secure Leigh turned back to the woman to thank her once more before she took off to find her friends.

Leigh found Aimee and Tyne several stalls over.  That one was almost blinding with the number of sequins on every surface in the stall.  It didn’t surprise Leigh to find her friends there at all.  She laughed at their glee over sequins.  If they let her have her inner goth, then the least she could do was tolerate their inner Barbie.

Leigh hadn’t even reached her friend’s side before she was once again inundated with a myriad of emotions from all the people in the closest stalls.  It wasn’t until she was focusing on blocking them all out that she realized she had not once felt anything from the woman that sold her the pendant.  That had been why she had been able to surprise her in the first place.  Leigh thought about going back and asking the woman about it, as she hadn’t met anyone that had been able to block themselves before, but her two friends had already noticed her presence.  She gave it up for now, thinking she might have a chance to go back before they left.

“Leigh, great, your back!  What do you think of these bags?”  Tyne held up a pair of bags for her opinion. 

Leigh was thankful again for friends that didn’t question her need to be alone sometimes but as she looked at the bags, she had to suppress a cringe and remind herself that it was for someone else, thankfully.  “Well, they both look big enough for me to camp in, but I suppose either one of them would go great with those jeans you bought last month.”  She was trying to be as unbiased as possible, but it only went so far.

Tyne stuck her tongue out at Leigh’s obvious sarcasm but nodded anyway.  “I agree but I like the purple one better than the blue, what do you think?  Aimee?”

Aimee had been looking at another selection of smaller clutches but turned when she was called.  “I agree.  Purple suits you better anyway.  Hey, Leigh, where did you find that!”

When Aimee turned she noticed the new pendant that Leigh was now wearing.  Leigh laughed at her friend’s enthusiasm.  Aimee tended to be the middle ground between the three of them that kept them all together, so her interest didn’t surprise Leigh at all.

“I found a stall in the back that had stones and such.  The vendor also made jewelry and gave me this for a steal!”  Leigh held it up for Aimee to inspect and was surprised by how warm it felt.  She wondered what kind of metal it was to carry her body heat so well.

After Aimee inspected it for a moment she reached out and touched Leigh’s forehead.  “No fever, hmm.  I thought you might have had one.  That pendant felt really warm.  I guess it must have been stuck in your shirt or something before you showed me.  Anyway, are we done here?  I would _love_ to go stop at that boba shop before we head home, anyone?”

At Aimee’s suggestion they all perked up.  One of the things they all three loved was a good boba tea and they had few opportunities to indulge.  Leigh stepped back to wait for the other two to pay for their selections and then they all headed to the car.

They were halfway to the tea shop when Leigh remembered that she had wanted to question the vendor, but it was too late now.  By the time they finished they would all need to head back.  Aimee was the only one with work in the morning, but they didn’t want to keep her too late.

Now that they were all done with college and had started different jobs it made seeing each other harder but the good thing was none had moved away.  It was just a matter of coordinating days off.  Leigh’s biggest fear was Aimee’s new boyfriend since she was the glue for their little threesome, more often than not.  She was happy her friend seemed to be happy though and tried not to worry about it.

They had all taken Aimee’s car for their trip so once they had their fill of milk tea they headed back to the small town they all lived in.  Leigh’s house was the closest, so they dropped her off first.

She gave both her friends a quick hug before she got out of the car.  There was no telling when they would be able to do it again.  Once she was out and at her door she turned to wave one last time to the retreating car.

She smiled tiredly as she entered her small duplex.  These trips always wore her out, but it was worth it.  She only hoped they could keep them up.  She was satisfied with her life as it was right now even if it had bumps.

She looked around her tiny living room.  She didn’t have much, but she had everything she needed.  She was working two jobs anyway, so she wasn’t in her duplex often.  She wished they both paid though.  She was an intern for two days out of the week at a software programming company in the next city over, but in order to pay the bills she also worked at the local factory.  It was grueling work, but it paid the bills with a little extra and she only had to work four days a week to make a full paycheck.

Working six days a week was tiring sometimes, but she had gotten used to it fast enough.  She wasn’t going to complain that the following day was a holiday though.  The programming company was closed so she had an extra day off.

Since she wasn’t in a hurry to get to bed she decided a hot bath before bed was just what she needed.  She had learned a long time ago how to deal with crowds like she had earlier in the day, but it still left her tired if she had to deal with it for longer than normal.  Being able to relax alone was a treat.

After her bath she changed into her favorite soft white cotton nightgown and grabbed the book she had been reading.  As she bent to grab it, the pendant she was still wearing swung into view.  She hadn’t even thought to take it off.

Looking at it in her bedroom mirror it made her rethink her reading choice; she suddenly had an urge to read something with vampires instead.  As she looked through her bookshelf she had several to choose from, ranging from classic to contemporary.  She almost thought about rereading Demon Death Chase for the umpteenth time but decided to go with a classic instead.

She took her book and went to bed.  She knew it was a bad habit to read in bed, but it was one she allowed herself to indulge in a few days a week at least.  After the day she had though it wasn’t long until her eyelids were drooping, and she was having a tough time concentrating on the pages.  With a sigh of regret, she put her book on her bedside table and shut off her lamp.

Since she was half asleep she couldn’t tell if it was her brain playing tricks on her, but it looked like the pendant resting on her chest was giving off a dim red light.  She was dragged into sleep before she could concentrate on it any further though.

 


	2. Chapter 2

## Chapter 2

Leigh vaguely heard something and groggily opened her eyes.  It was pitch black around her, so she assumed it must still be the middle of the night.  She laid still for a few moments longer to see if she could identify what it was that woke her.  There was nothing around her but silence, so she decided to roll over and go back to sleep.  As she tried to roll over though she realized she was on a hard surface and not in her bed.  This realization brought her fully awake.  She sat up quickly and felt around her first, with the vague thought that she might have rolled out of bed in her sleep.  She couldn’t feel anything near her though and the floor was rough.  It almost felt like stone.  She also realized there should be some light from the street lamp outside her window.  No matter how dark her curtains some of that light always seemed to get in.  This absolute darkness was unnatural.

Trying to keep her panic to a minimum she pushed herself to her feet and picked a direction.  She started walking in small steps in what she hoped was a straight line.  She hoped she would eventually run into a wall at least.  Before she had taken more than a half dozen steps though, she was brought up short by the emotions of others in the area around her.  She had never tried to see what her maximum distance was, but she got the impression these were very close, within a dozen feet or so.

Her body had frozen and she was trying her best to not make any sounds.  In different circumstances she might have called out to them for help but the emotion she felt was unlike anything she had ever felt before.  If she had to name it, she would have called it bloodlust.  Whoever these other people were, they were consumed with the desire to cause death.  Leigh could feel herself trembling and tried her best to keep on her feet.  She slowly started shuffling in the opposite direction from what she was feeling.  Thankfully they didn’t seem to be getting any closer but with the absolute darkness that didn’t make her feel any better.

Leigh was unable to suppress a scream when a gravelly voice broke the silence from the direction she was presently headed.  “D, this one looks human, and still in control of herself as well.”  After she heard the voice she was finally able to make out curiosity coming from that direction, but it had an alien feel.  Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to worry about it right now.  It seemed her scream must have drawn the attention of the others as she could feel them getting closer.  Before she had much time to worry about it she felt a strong arm circle her waist and lift her slightly.  She heard a smooth masculine voice, very different than the one she had heard previously, right by her ear.  “Don’t move.  I will get you out of here so be still.”

Before she could even process the touch or the command she felt air rushing past her.  It felt as if the man who was holding her was moving extremely fast, but she was having a tough time processing everything.  Leigh couldn’t make sense of anything and she vaguely realized she must be in shock somewhat.  Trying to focus on that thought she was able to concentrate on her situation a little better.  The first thing she noticed was that she had a death grip on the shirt of this stranger.  She started to release her grip, but the momentum of his movement had her shifting drastically in his grip.  She grabbed on tighter again hoping he would stop soon, or at least that they would come into some light.  The thought of him running in the dark like this made her a little nauseous.

While she was contemplating how much it might hurt if they ran into a wall she noticed that there were two distinct sets of feelings right beside her.  One was the alien feeling set she had noticed earlier.  She could still feel determination and some curiosity, but it was filtered.  The second set was clear but cold.  Determination was the only thing she could discern.  She decided one must belong to the gruff voice and the other to the man holding her.  She relaxed a little more as she realized he had no ulterior motivations that she could tell anyway.  She could still feel the others as well, but they were faint.  The distance between them must have increased.  She hoped it stayed that way.  She had no desire to meet whoever that was.

Leigh thought she noticed a glimmer out of the corner of her eye.  Before she could fully lift her head and realize they were headed for a large window a large hand came up to cover her head.  She had instinctively ducked her head when she realized he wasn’t stopping as he reached the window.  She tried to hold in the strangled scream that was pressing against her lips as she heard the glass shatter around her.  She felt a slight jar as they hit the ground, and timidly looked up.  She had to blink a few times to adjust to the light after the blackness of inside, but she found it was still the middle of the night.  The light was from a nearly full moon.

As soon as they had landed the stranger started running again which drew Leigh’s attention back to him.  She couldn’t believe how fast they were going.  She didn’t think anyone could move with those speeds, much less while carrying another person.  He didn’t run for long though.  After a few moments he stopped and finally let her down.  Once she was on her own two feet he stepped back, and she saw him for the first time.  She almost forgot to breath.  She didn’t think she had ever seen a man as beautiful as the one that was standing in front of her now.  The stray thought that he had been holding her very close until a moment ago brought a slight flush to her cheeks, but she tried not to let it show.  Once he stepped back he gave her a quick once over, presumably to look for injuries.

“Wait here.”  He was to the point, but his voice was as smooth as she had thought when he first picked her up.  It suited him.

Before she could respond in any way he had turned back to the building they had just exited.  When her attention was drawn back that way she was greeted by what looked like an old Western European style castle, but there were slight differences.  She couldn’t quite put her finger on what they were though.

As she looked back she found the busted window that must have been the one they exited several stories up.  Realizing the distance they must have dropped, she suddenly felt faint.  She focused on her breathing, so she wouldn’t pass out, but her knees refused to hold her up and she found herself on the ground.

As she was focused on bringing her heart rate down again and trying to figure out what exactly was going on, she noticed that there had only been the man with her even though she had felt two people.  As she concentrated now she could only feel once presence again, but it was the alien one.

Nothing was making sense.  She wasn’t prone to hysterics, but she could feel something close to a teary breakdown frighteningly close.  It was getting harder to control her breathing.  She tried to focus on the man that had helped her. 

She jumped slightly when she saw three men jump from the already broken window before her rescuer had even made it back to the castle.  She almost forgot her own situation as she watched the scene playing out in front of her.  The three men fanned out and approached the stranger with the same speed he had previously used.  He had slowed some and they all seemed to attack at the same time.  Leigh screamed at what she saw next.  She hadn’t seen the stranger draw a sword, she hadn’t even noticed that he was wearing one, but before the other three could touch him they all stopped.  Each was still standing at a weird angle but each of their heads slowly rolled from their shoulders and their bodies seemed to fall in slow motion all at once.

Leigh hadn’t realized she was screaming but she didn’t give the stranger a chance to turn back to her.  She was on her feet and running away from him as fast as her feet would carry her.  She didn’t even notice the damage the ground was doing to her bare feet.  She had no idea if the man was following but she wasn’t looking behind to find out.  The only thing she could think was to get away.  She had just watched someone kill three people like it was nothing.

She was running recklessly, barely paying attention to what was in front of her.  She only knew it was a clear field and she was focused on getting away.  She hadn’t gotten very far before she ran headlong into god knew what, but it felt like a wall.  She had been running full out and having hit the unknown barrier at full speed, face first, it instantly knocked her back and down.  She felt the pain explode in the front of her head where she had struck and, although she fought to remain conscious, she felt herself slip into total blackness.


	3. Chapter 3

## Chapter 3

Leigh felt like she was being smothered in blackness.  She was fighting for consciousness but couldn’t quite reach it.  During this time, she thought she heard voices.  “I couldn’t touch it either but we both know that it’s _his_.  You checked her over completely and as far as I can tell she is human.  There is something a little strange about her but nothing that would indicate why she has that.”

The gravelly voice gave Leigh something to focus on.  As she drifted closer to the surface of wakefulness she also felt the presence of another person, presumably the one that had been speaking.  The alien feel of the presence near her suddenly brought the memories of what happened before she passed out back to her.  She must have been near the man that had killed those people.  That thought had her awake in a rush.  With a gasp she sat up and almost fell over again right away.  Her head was pounding.  She placed a hand to her head while the other held her up unsteadily.  She was still trying to figure out what happened.

She felt a gentle grip on her arm and a smooth voice next to her.  “You should take it easy.  You hit your head pretty hard on that barrier.”  She suddenly felt a second presence right next to her and it made her jump again.  She looked up directly into the unreadable eyes of the beautiful young man from earlier and couldn’t hide the fear she felt.

She hadn’t even noticed that she was trembling but the shift in emotions she was reading caught her attention.  She had been feeling determination, curiosity and even a little anger but as soon as their eyes met a tinge of sadness crept over everything else.  It passed quickly, like it was not accepted and pushed away.

The fact that she still had not felt any aggression from this man toward her at any point helped to calm her and her trembling stopped.  Her head was still pounding, and she knew he was probably right that she needed to lie down, but she had too many questions she wanted answered first.

Once he realized she wasn’t going to lay down and that she was stable enough to hold herself up he let go of her arm and moved away from her.  He took a seat on the other side of the small fire next the pallet she was on.  She noticed they were in a shallow cave of some sort.  After taking a look around to get her bearings and noting that this stranger was sitting in front of the only exit, she turned her attention back to the man that had presumably brought her here. 

As she looked him full in the face again she noticed there was, once again, only one presence that she felt, and it wasn’t the one she had come to associate with the young man.  This made her brows furrow.  She had only ever met one person that she couldn’t read and that had only been… yesterday.  Had it just been yesterday?  Her head was still fuzzy so that was her best guess.

It was too much of a strange coincidence to meet two people back to back that she couldn’t read, although it seemed she could read him if they were touching.  She finally connected those dots.  She didn’t see the other person though.  They couldn’t be too far since she could still feel their presence pretty close by.

She wasn’t sure how long they both sat there taking stock of each other, but Leigh finally decided she wasn’t going to get any answers if she didn’t start asking questions.  “Um, you said I hit my head on a barrier?  Does that mean you helped me?  If so, you deserve my thanks.”

The young man continued to stare at her with an unreadable gaze.  Finally, he nodded, as if to say, ‘you’re welcome.’  Leigh had to fight back a sigh.  This was already an impossible situation and it was starting to look like it might be easier to pull teeth than get answers from this strange man.  Instead of getting frustrated though, she took a deep breath and tried another approach.  “Is your friend outside?”

At this, she finally did see a response.  The young man looked at her almost quizzically.  “My friend?”

Leigh couldn’t tell if he was testing her or playing dumb, but she wasn’t stopping now that it was out.  “There is another person here, I…” She had almost said that she felt two presences but remembered most people didn’t seem to care for her abilities.  She decided to go another route instead.  “I heard two voices earlier.”

If the young man noticed her hesitation, he didn’t say anything, but he lost the quizzical look.  His face was once again unreadable.  “It’s just me.”

It was Leigh’s turn to be confused this time.  She knew he was lying but couldn’t prove it unless she wanted to reveal that she felt both of them, not something she was in the mood to get into with a stranger at this point, and definitely not this stranger.

“Okay… well, um… can you explain earlier at least then?  How did I even get in that place?  Why… why did you kill those people?  I didn’t imagine that too, did I?”

The man’s expression never seemed to change, and he didn’t answer right away but he finally spoke up.  “Those weren’t people.  They were vampires.”  At this his expression turned much colder and the look he gave her was confusing, as if she should have known this already.  “I would like to know why you were in that building as well.”

Leigh had had enough, she wasn’t sure how she got into that strange place, where she was, or what was going on, but she did know that vampires didn’t exist.  This man must be crazy, that was the only thing she could think.  This thought put her on edge.  If he was crazy, there was no telling when he might turn on her too.  She swallowed reflexively and quickly tried to think of what to say.

“Oh, vampires… well…ok, if they were vampires then… well… yeah… um…” Leigh could tell she was babbling incoherently and mentally chastised herself.  If she was going to have any chance of making it out of this she had to keep it together.

She glanced quickly at the young man to find him staring at her quizzically once more.  She realized she didn’t even know where she was.  That would be the first thing to find out.  If she could get away, she needed to know what direction to head to get home.  She also thought it might be a good idea to be polite for now, anything she could do to keep him calm until she could get away.

“Sorry, I guess it might not hurt to start over.  My name is Leigh by the way.  What is yours?”  She looked at him expectantly, but it almost looked as if he wasn’t going to answer her.

He must have decided it wouldn’t hurt to answer.  “D.”  Leigh was even more confused after his answer than she had been before though.  His name was D?  Something clicked with Leigh and her eyebrows rose.  She realized he must be stuck in some fantasy where he was the protagonist of the Vampire Hunter D books.  She wasn’t sure if that made him more or less dangerous, especially since she couldn’t read him without touching him.  As long as he was pretending she was ‘human’ and not ‘vampire’ she should be safe.

As she was going through this in her head it brought back the conversation she had heard earlier.  He had apparently ‘checked her over’ and determined she was human.  The thought made her shiver a little.  Even if he was handsome enough to make a girl swoon, the thought of a stranger looking her over that intimately was a bit much, especially this strange of a stranger.

She kept these thoughts to herself though.  She didn’t want to set him off.  She still had no idea where this was.  “Okay D, can you at least tell me where we are?  I have never seen that place before, so I guess I’m a little lost.”

“We are in the wilds of the western frontier.  There is a village three days ride from here but nothing closer.  I believe it was called Tarol.  Does that sound familiar?”  Leigh couldn’t believe how detailed this was.  This man was spouting off stuff about riding and unknown towns in the ‘frontier’ like it was second nature.  Unfortunately, none of it helped her figure out where she was.

“No, I’ve never heard of it before.  I went to sleep in my own bed and woke up in that strange place.  I have no idea where ‘here’ is.”

“Where are you from then and I might be able to help?”  His question made sense, but Leigh had to weigh the prospect of her answer helping or putting her at further risk.  Finally, she decided she wasn’t going to get anywhere by keeping quiet.  “I live in Nacogdoches, or just outside the city anyway.  How far is that from here?”

The young man gave her a strange look.  “Nack oh doe chess?  I don’t think I have ever heard of that village before.”  Leigh realized she was getting nowhere fast.  The only thing she could do was get away from this strange man as fast as she could and hope she wasn’t too far from home, or at least from someplace where she could find help.

With that thought she decided to try to rest, or at least pretend to for now.  It wouldn’t be hard given the fact that her head was still pounding.  It had only been nerves and adrenalin that had kept her going to this point.  “Honestly I don’t know if I can focus on trying to figure it out right now.  I need to lay down please.”

She didn’t wait for him to respond before she lay back into the pallet.  She immediately closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing to make it even.  Unfortunately for her plans though, it wasn’t long before she drifted back to sleep.

D watched the mysterious young woman as she slowly drifted to sleep.  He could tell she had finally gone back to sleep by the change in her measured breathing.  She was as much a mystery to him now as she had been when he first laid eyes on her.  He knew he needed to figure out her involvement with ‘him’ but after speaking with her it was hard to picture a connection.

She had shown fear initially, like almost every person he ever faced, but it had faded quickly.  He could tell she remained wary but not afraid.  A gruff voice interrupted his thoughts.  “So, I was right, she’s a weird one alright.  Any thoughts?”

D didn’t bother to answer the question since he was no closer to an answer, but it had served to remind him that she had asked about his ‘friend.’  Another question to add to the many he had about her already.  With one last look at her sleeping form he slipped into the night, leaving her to slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

## Chapter 4

Leigh groggily let out a yawn and opened her eyes.  She had already started a large stretch as well when the roof of the cave came into view.  She had forgotten her circumstances once again, but it didn’t take her long to remember where she was.  She sat up slowly and took a look around.  She found that she was alone in the cave and wondered if this might not be the opportunity she had been looking for.  As she stood up she staggered a little.  She hadn’t realized how much pain her feet were in, but it made sense when she thought about her wild run the night before.

She didn’t take the time to look at them though.  If she had an opportunity to get away right now she would take it and worry about her feet, and anything else, later.  She made her way to the mouth of the small cave as quietly as possible.  When she got there, she paused to listen for any sound.  When she didn’t hear anything, she took a deep breath and quickly peeked out.

The mouth of the cave was narrow, so she had a limited range of view but from what she could tell she was in a lightly forested area with nothing in front of the cave.  She waited another minute to see if she heard any other sounds and when she still heard nothing she decided it was now or never.

She darted out of the cave.  She picked a direction in random and started running.  She had only taken a few steps however when she immediately stopped.  The handsome stranger was standing right in front of her, holding the reins of a large black horse.  They had been walking back toward the cave she had just exited, and Leigh vaguely wondered at the fact that neither the horse nor the man had made any noise in the leaf litter.

Leigh gave herself a mental shake.  Now was not the time to be admiring his stealth, especially since it put such a kink in her own plans.  She took a moment to evaluate the situation again and tried to look him over.  She couldn’t see any additional details this morning than what she had last night.  His large hat kept his face shadowed.  It also didn’t help that he was still standing in the trees and she was in a small clearing in front of the cave.

She took another look around to see if it would make sense for her to bolt, but the trees were a lot thicker on the other side of the clearing.  Since she was barefoot that would make it nearly impossible for her to outrun anyone, especially this person.  She still remembered his speed from the previous night.

At the thought of her bare feet she briefly looked down at herself and was suddenly reminded that she was still wearing nothing but her nightgown.  Although it was cotton, it was still sheer and standing like she was in full sunlight, she could only imagine how little there was left to the imagination.  She instantly felt her face flare up and without a single word dashed back into the cave.  She knew it hadn’t seemed as if he had paid her any mind, but it still made her feel incredibly embarrassed to be so exposed.  As soon as she was back in the cave she grabbed the blanket she had been covered with the night before.  It was thin but at least it would cover her better than nothing.  Once she had that draped around her shoulders and felt that she was reasonably covered she dared to go back outside again.  The young man was still standing in the same spot he had been previously.  He didn’t seem fazed in the least by her odd behavior.

Leigh realized she couldn’t run for it right now, but she hadn’t given up.  She was going to keep her eyes open for any opportunity.  She tightened the blanket around herself unconsciously and walked to where the young man was standing as nonchalantly as she could.  As she made her way over to him she thought she heard low, rough, laughter and she felt amusement from somewhere, but it wasn’t the young man in front of her.  His face was still an unreadable mask.  She assumed it must be his hidden associate, so she ignored it.  If they were not going to acknowledge his presence, then she couldn’t push the issue.

She had to remind herself to keep as calm as possible for now.  With that thought she put as much bravado into her stare as she could muster.  “Thank you for letting me rest last night, I guess I needed it.  I suppose you have a plan for today?”  She had tried to gesture to the horse, but it was vague at best since her hand was still buried under the blanket.

“I will take you to the nearest village to see if you can find someone to help you.”  His response was logical, but it still made no sense to Leigh.  She wasn’t sure how long he could keep up this act without it cracking.  She didn’t have much choice but to go along with it for now though. 

She eyed the horse warily.  It wasn’t that she couldn’t ride, she had learned as a girl during her summers spent with her father but trying to stay in the saddle and keep herself wrapped up at the same time was going to be difficult.  While Leigh was contemplating this the young man had approached her and removed the cloak he had been wearing without her noticing.  Once he was by her side he held it up.  “This will be easier for you to wear than that blanket.”

Leigh looked at him in shock for a moment.   Was he really offering her his cloak, so she wouldn’t be awkwardly clinging to the blanket she was wrapped in?  As she thought about it, she realized it would be easier for him as well if he didn’t have to worry about her falling off the horse.  With a slight flush Leigh released her death grip on her makeshift shield and allowed the young man to drape his cloak over her shoulders.

She worked the clasp in the front, so it stayed closed.  The cloak was worn but still made of sturdy cloth and in decent shape.  It had a pleasantly musky scent that enveloped her, one that she realized must belong to the stranger.

She glanced at him once again as he ducked back into the cave.  He had been nothing but kind to her.  A fact that totally went against what she had witnessed but was in line with what she felt from him every time they had touched.  She wondered again what was going on.

He was back out in a moment with a pack in hand.  Leigh guessed he must have finished cleaning up the rest of the camp.  She had absently folded the blanket in her hands while he had been in the cave.  When he approached she handed it to him.  He took it without a word and placed it into the saddlebags on the horse, along with the pack he had been carrying.

As Leigh watched him she suddenly realized there was only one horse.  She didn’t think he would ask her to walk since she was barefoot, but she wondered if he would ride with her as well.  She couldn’t help but blush a little at the thought.  She had not ridden on a horse with another person since her father had first taught her to ride.

Once he was done packing everything away he turned to her with a hand out.  He wordlessly offered his assistance in mounting.  Leigh knew it would be awkward for her to get settled since she was in a gown, but she had no intention of letting him see that.  Completely ignoring his outstretched hand, she reached for the pommel and put her foot in the stirrup, ignoring the pain. 

Now that she was trying to get in the saddle she realized how tall the horse was.  Her nightgown was already hiked up to her thigh because she had to raise her foot so high just to reach the stirrup.  She wasn’t going to give up that easily though and although she couldn’t contain her furious blushing she managed to heave herself into the saddle.  Once she was up there it took her a moment to arrange her nightgown around her legs and the cloak, so it still covered everything above the knee.  She was thankful that she had been given the opportunity to do so.  Before she could say anything to the young man though her eyes widened in shock as he reached for the pommel himself. 

She didn’t even get the chance to protest before he was snuggly in the saddle behind her.  She scooted forward as far as the saddle would allow but could not escape the feel of his body right behind her.  Both of his arms came up and she thought for a moment he meant to embrace her.  Instead he reached for the reins and with a flick of his wrist they were moving.

Leigh sat as far away from him as she could get, which wasn’t all that far, and tried to stay that way.  The stiff posture she was using didn’t take long to get to her though.  She could feel her head start to pound again as her shoulders started to stiffen up.  She absently reached up to the spot on her forehead where the pain seemed to be coming from.  She felt a lump the size of a golf ball close to her hairline and winced when she touched it.

It wasn’t long before she completely forgot about trying to not touch this stranger.  The pain in her head and shoulders had grown to the point that she was starting to sway in the saddle.  If she didn’t force herself to relax she would not be able to stay mounted.  With a sigh she finally allowed herself to relax.  She felt the hard muscles of the young man behind her and vaguely noticed that he had moved the reins into one hand and had the other on her arm.  He was helping to hold her up.

She finally noticed his feelings of concern as well and wondered again what was going on with him.  As her thoughts were getting foggy she realized she must have hit her head much harder than she thought and fought to stay conscious.  The last thing she needed was to fall off the horse.  The only thing she could do was force herself to relax as much as possible and try to control her breathing.  She closed her eyes and let her body lean back against the stranger and sway gently with the movements of the horse.  She started taking measured breaths and counting to focus away from the pain.  Her breathing gradually became less forced as the pain became manageable again.  She was grateful that he had not complained yet.

Although she knew she should not be so close to this man, she couldn’t force herself to go back to sitting stiffly away from him again.  It wasn’t just that she knew it would cause her pain, but she also felt safe.  It didn’t make any logical sense to her, but his supporting hand on her arm was comforting.  It might have something to do with the feelings of concern and support she was feeling from him, since they were touching, but she couldn’t muster the will to care right now.  She decided that she would relax for the moment.  Although she knew she would have to try to get away at some point, she also realized she was in no shape to run without a plan.  She would have to think up something carefully first.  Maybe they would run into another person while they were out, and she could find help.

While she was thinking this, she realized she did feel another person.  It was faint and flickered in and out of her notice but that could be what made her think of it in the first place.  Whoever it was didn’t seem to be close yet, but they seemed to be traveling toward them.  The idea of meeting another person soon had Leigh sitting up straight again despite the pain.  She was concentrating, trying to feel the other person clearly.  It wasn’t long before Leigh realized the person was behind them, coming up the way they had just traveled.  Whoever it was, was coming in much clearer now so the distance must be getting closer between them.

As Leigh got the first good impression of the feelings her blood ran cold.  Whoever was coming up behind them seemed to be emanating nothing but rage and the desire for destruction.  Leigh was not used to feeling anything on that scale and it made her tremble.

There was still some distance between them, but it was shrinking fast.  She wasn’t sure about the young man she was riding with, but he had not yet made her feel this kind of fear, even having seen his display the previous night.  She knew she couldn’t handle what was coming alone and had to speak up, even if it meant revealing herself.  “There is someone chasing us.  They mean harm and will be here soon.”

Leigh hadn’t bothered looking up at the young man when she spoke, but she knew he had heard her.  She was surprised that he didn’t ask any questions though.  He immediately pulled the reins to stop the horse and quickly dismounted.  Leigh was a little disappointed and unsteady, but he just handed her the reins.  “Keep going straight at a brisk pace.  I will catch up.”

Leigh couldn’t believe her ears.  He would catch up with her when she was on horseback?  There was no way.  She wasn’t thinking about the fact that she should use this as an opportunity to get away, she only thought about not being able to leave him to face whoever it was on his own.  She didn’t know what she could do but she wasn’t going to leave him stranded either.  “I can’t leave you here alone!”

The strange young man didn’t bother to argue he just looked at Leigh before slapping the horse on the flank.  She had to grab onto the saddle to keep from falling off as the horse took off at a gallop.  She looked back through the sparse trees as the stranger got smaller.  It suddenly occurred to her that she had just made her escape.  She didn’t know where to go but she was free.  The thought didn’t make her as happy as she believed it would, especially since she still had no idea where she was.

With a shake of her head she decided to let the horse keep running.  One direction was as good as any other when you didn’t have a destination she supposed.  It was also away from those feelings of hate.  As she focused once more on those feeling she realized that there had been more than one set.  The feelings were almost an exact match for each other, so she hadn’t noticed there were many different individuals at a distance.  Now she could tell there had been at least four.  Two were getting farther away but the other two were getting even closer.  It looked like they were still following her.

She tried not to panic but what she was feeling made it hard for her not to picture the worst.  She tried to urge the horse to go faster but even after it picked up speed the people kept getting closer.  Leigh dared to try to look back to see if she could spot them and almost fell out of the saddle when she spotted what looked to be two giant wolves running on two legs straight for her.

Leigh jerked herself back around.  She had to be dreaming, right?  Wolves didn’t run on two legs.  That might explain the last twenty-four hours at least.  No matter how much she tried to convince herself of this though, the murderous rage she was feeling from the two beings behind her kept pulsing inside her brain.  The reality was, she knew she wasn’t dreaming even if she wished she could write it off as such.  The danger she was in was too imminent.  As she gave in and accepted this as reality it struck her that she was feeling true emotions from the pair behind her.  Normally she felt only vague emotions from animals, if that, but these two were emanating fully realized emotions, even if they did all focus on killing.  She wondered how wolves could emit such high emotions and looked back once more.  Seeing them running so swiftly on two feet she decided the emotions they felt were the least of her worries.

They were gaining on her and she didn’t have the first clue how she could fight them off.  She tried to feel around in the saddlebag with one hand for anything she might be able to use as a weapon while urging the horse on. 

Her fingers closed around what felt like a cooking pan and managed to get it pulled out.  It was a small cast iron pot with a long handle.  It wasn’t much but it would have to do.  She could hear the racing steps behind her and didn’t bother to look back.  She leaned over the horse’s neck hoping to gain more speed.

Suddenly one of the beasts leapt high into the air and landed a dozen feet in front of the horse.  The horse came to a sudden halt and the only reason Leigh didn’t go flying is because she had been leaning into the horse.  Thankfully it didn’t rear up or she probably would have fallen.  She knew she was in trouble though.  She was effectively surrounded, with one in front now and the other behind.  She could try to steer the horse to the side, but these beasts were fast.  She didn’t know how much good it would do.

They circled her and the horse slowly now and Leigh could feel that they were enjoying tormenting her.  She gripped the pan tighter and focused.  It might not do any good, but she wasn’t going to give up.  She would at least be able to tell before they attacked so maybe she had a chance, slim though it was.  She felt the one behind her gleefully give in to his desire to pounce.  She twisted in the saddle and brought the pan up in an arc, hoping to intercept the beast midjump but it never connected.  The beast only made a strangled cry as its body split open and it fell to the ground.

Standing next to the beast was the young man.  Leigh couldn’t believe what she was seeing but before she could comprehend it she suddenly felt the murderous intent of the last beast, aimed not at the youth, but at her.

She instantly swung back around knowing that it would be too late, but the attack never connected.  The young man had made an impossible leap and intercepted the beast midair.  Leigh watched as a line of red appeared to split the beast from forehead to jaw in slow motion.  When it finally hit the ground, it was so close that the spray of blood covered her.

It was too much; the threat of death, the violence, all the blood.  Leigh didn’t even notice as she started to slip out of the saddle, but the young man was there to catch her before she fell.


	5. Chapter 5

## Chapter 5

Leigh felt a gentle swaying as she first came to.  She hadn’t opened her eyes yet and thought about letting the swaying lull her back into sleep.  A niggling thought kept her from giving in.  She kept wondering why she was swaying in the first place.

As she finally opened her eyes, she found herself on horseback, still in an unknown forest.  She realized she must have passed out after she was nearly attacked but that brought back the impossible situation she was in.

She sat up quickly and realized she had been leaning against a hard body, with an arm wrapped around her waist.  She turned slightly to see the young man from before.  “What happened?”

He gave her a quick glance before looking forward once more.  “You fell from the horse after the werewolves attacked.”

“Werewolves?  Those were werewolves?”  Leigh could hear the note of hysteria in her voice, but she couldn’t stop it.

This time the young man gave her a longer look and she could feel curiosity coming from him.  “They weren’t originals, thankfully, but I’m glad I was able to reach you before they attacked.”

His matter of fact response left her speechless for a moment.  Her brain was in overdrive.  She couldn’t admit any of this as actual reality but having lived through it, twice now, she was having a harder time convincing herself this wasn’t real.  She wanted to get away, so she could consider her situation, but she didn’t think she would be able to.  She wasn’t sure where she would go anyway and with what she just went through this might be the safest place for her.

The words ‘werewolf’ and ‘vampire’ kept circling through her head.  These creatures were supposed to be figments of the common imagination.  They couldn’t be real, but she couldn’t refute her own eyes.  Suddenly another thought occurred to her as well.  If there were really vampires and werewolves, could this young man really be the actual vampire hunter from the stories she loved?  She wasn’t sure how it could have happened, but it now seemed much more plausible.  She couldn’t twist around to face him very well, but she decided she wasn’t going to wait to find out either.  “I need to talk to you; can we stop please?”

“We need to put more space between us and the mess we left behind.  There are already other predators headed that way.  It wouldn’t be good to get caught up in that, especially with you feeling poorly.”  His words gave Leigh a chill.  She couldn’t help but believe them this time.

She still had questions, and although she would have felt better asking them outside of his grip and facing him instead of with her back to him, she couldn’t put them off.  “Fine, but I still need to talk to you.  Umm, you said your name was D… are you really the vampire hunter D?”

She felt a start of surprise from him but no anger.  She couldn’t feel anything from him that might refute her assumptions, which didn’t really make her feel any better.  “You have heard of me then?  If so, why did you deny the existence of vampires?” His curiosity was coming through stronger than ever now and Leigh wasn’t sure how she could explain when she didn’t have the first clue herself.

“Well, I’ve heard…stories of you, but where I’m from none of this exists.  They are just tales to creep people out, or in scary movies.  I…this…it’s hard for me to accept as real.”  Leigh knew she had to be honest here if she was going to figure out how she got there in the first place, much less how she was to get back.

“Where could you be from to not have been affected by the nobility?  They have terrorized humanity for millennia now.”  Leigh wasn’t sure how she could answer his question.  She had an idea of ‘when’ it was now, if it was in line with the stories, but still no idea where.  It obviously wouldn’t do any good to give him landmarks that were long gone.

That made her realize something then.  D might not remember but his left hand was believed to be much older, he might know.  Since she was putting all her cards on the table it couldn’t hurt to reveal everything and ask.

“I honestly don’t know how to explain it for you, since I have no idea how I got here myself, but I can tell you it isn’t a matter of where, but when.  I, if I had to hazard a guess, am from about 10000 years in your past.  Back before the ‘nobility’ as you call them, became a reality for humanity.”

She heard him take in a sharp breath, a rare show of emotion for this young man but she could feel the roiling emotions.  The surprise, the curiosity and even some anger, although she didn’t think the last was directed at her.

While he was still working to process her declaration, Leigh pressed on.  “I, umm I’m also an empath.  I asked about your friend previously because I felt that there were two people, I didn’t realize at the time I was feeling your left hand.”

At this she felt his grip on her middle tighten reflexively but he relaxed it quickly.  “How…how did you know.  No one knows.”

Leigh hadn’t thought about it because they had always been an inseparable pair in all the stories, but she could understand why it was probably a secret he kept close.  She really put her foot in it this time.  “I told you I had heard stories about you, that is the truth.  I don’t know how stories from my time are reality here but…well that was all part of them.  I didn’t mean to pry, I was just…well I was hoping for a little input.”

Suddenly Leigh heard a gruff voice interject into the conversation.  “Well, well.  You are full of surprises.  D, it doesn’t seem like she is lying either.  So what input were you wanting?”

Leigh was only mildly surprised that he had addressed her directly.  At this point there couldn’t be any point in hiding things.  “Well, if the stories are true then you were likely around during my time as well.  If that were the case I might be able to at least give you a general idea where I live.”

“Hmm, maybe I was and maybe I wasn’t, but it can’t hurt to ask.  So where are you from?”  Leigh was relieved that he was playing along at least. 

“I live in the southern part of North America.”  Since they hadn’t seemed to have had a clue were Nacogdoches was she decided to be a little more general.  If she could even get close to home from here she would be satisfied, like 10000 years closer to home.  She was still having a tough time swallowing this was her new reality. 

“Well, that’s pretty vague but from what I remember we are in what used to be that territory.”  Somehow, this didn’t surprise Leigh at all.  She almost wanted to cry but she managed to hold it in, or at least she thought she did until she felt the first tear fall on her hands in her lap.

“Are you crying?”  She could feel the concern coming from D but kept her face turned from him.

“I’m fine.  It’s…just a little overwhelming to know everything and everyone you ever knew and loved is long gone.  I don’t know why or how I got here so getting back is a complete mystery.”

“You are saying you have no knowledge of how you made the trip to this time at all?  No clues?”  Leigh was still feeling concern from D, but it was also mixed with disbelief.  She couldn’t blame him.  She hadn’t believed him when he first told her who he was, and her story was pretty farfetched if you looked at it from the other end.

“I know this is pretty weird, I didn’t believe you at first either, but all I can tell you is that I went to sleep in my bed and woke up in that weird castle right before you found me.”

At this, the gruff voice of D’s left hand interjected again.  “Are you saying you just arrived in the castle right before we found you?”

Leigh thought a moment before answering.  “I can’t say for certain how long I had actually been there, but I can say that I went to sleep in my own bed and woke up what only felt like a few hours later to have you find me just moments after that.  I can’t give you any more details then that.”

There was a moment of silence after that, but D’s left hand soon broke it again.  “D, it can’t be a coincidence.  You need to investigate it closer.  That is my best advice.”  From Leigh’s point of view his words were extremely cryptic, but D must have understood.  Leigh suddenly felt strong determination from him.

“We will still head to the nearest village.  We will need supplies but after that I will help you try to find out what has happened.”  D’s words reassured Leigh but from what she knew, he wasn’t often completely altruistic.  He had to have another motive for helping her, she wasn’t sure if it would be worth it for her to dig too deep if he was in a giving mood.  Now wasn’t the time to push the matter though so she kept the questions to herself.  She fell into contemplating her situation as the day grew longer.  The rest of the day was spent in silence, as D had his own thoughts to ponder.

As dusk started to fall, D finally slowed the pace of their ride, drawing Leigh out of her thoughts.  As far as she could tell there was no town nearby, but he had said it was a three-day ride.  He was obviously looking for something though.

The terrain was not much different than it had been all day.  There were small hills and light forests as far as the eye could see.  As D steered toward one of the hills though, Leigh was surprised to see this one had a cave that looked to be big enough for them to spend the night.  She wondered how many times D had been through this area if he knew exactly where to look for shelter. 

That was another question she was not likely to ever find out the answer to.  In any case, it looked like they were stopping for the night and Leigh couldn’t be happier.  She had not been in the saddle for years and having spent all day in one with not much protection from the friction was already wearing on her.  She was already sore from her previous injuries and being saddle sore was the icing on the cake.

She hadn’t planned to complain about it in any case, but the choice was taken from her when she tried to get down from the saddle and nearly collapsed.  It occurred to her that she hadn’t really eaten anything either.  D had shared some rations during their ride but that had been the only thing in at least a day and a half if her estimations were correct.

Thankfully D had not been looking at her and she was able to use the saddle to steady herself before walking toward the cave.  When she ducked into it, he already had the makings of a fire started.  It looked like there was a small stack of wood against one side of the cave wall and a fire ring that had obviously been there for some time.  It looked like this was a regular stopping point for someone at least.  She only hoped they wouldn’t be getting any nocturnal visitors.  She wasn’t sure she could handle any more surprises right now.

She didn’t even care that there was nothing set up yet, she dropped to the floor opposite D and watched as he brought the fire to life.  She felt a little bad, since she should probably offer to help with something but with the way she felt at that moment, she would have probably been more of a hindrance.

Leigh was surprised to see that D was incredibly efficient with the set up and had everything in place in no time.  As she thought about it, she realized she shouldn’t be.  There was no telling how many years he had been doing this.  This random thought had Leigh wondering just how old D was, but she wasn’t about to ask.  She knew he was probably centuries old at least and the thought left her in awe.  She had a tough time wrapping her head around the idea, especially since he was probably alone most of it.  Thinking about it left her incredibly sad.

She suddenly realized all of her thoughts for the last bit had been focused on the handsome man in front of her and shook herself out of her reverie.  She needed to focus on getting food first and then rest or she wasn’t going to get far herself.

D had already handed her the blankets she needed, and she managed to get them laid out into a pallet.  While she finished that D had brought out the sauce pan she had found earlier in the day and set it on the fire.  He added some water and a few of the dried meat rations they had shared earlier in the day as well as what looked to be small potatoes and a packet of some kind of powder, spices from the smell of it.

Leigh was fascinated watching him.  This wasn’t in any of the stories about him, but she guessed it made sense.  Even dhampirs had to eat sometime so it would only be wise for him to carry rations.  She wondered if that was what he meant when he said they would need supplies and felt a little sad.  She hadn’t had to depend so thoroughly on another person since she was a child and it didn’t sit well with her.

They sat in silence while the food simmered but Leigh decided she needed to know what the plan was, if there was one at all.  “So, when we get to town what is the next step?”

She could tell her question brought him out of his own reverie as it took him a moment to answer.  “I’ll get the supplies we need and make sure we get you proper clothes.  After that we can discuss our best destination.”

Leigh couldn’t help but blush as she was once again reminded that she was in nothing but a thin nightgown and D’s cloak.  She could only imagine how she looked.  She unconsciously reached up to touch her face and hair and found there was still stiff parts in her hair, presumably from the blood spatter earlier.  She shuddered as she remembered it.

“I don’t think I have yet properly thanked you for saving me, first in the castle and then from the werewolves.  It has been a little hard to accept but I want you to know I appreciate it.  I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.  Also, I want to thank you for agreeing to help me.  I know you usually don’t do this sort of thing and when you do agree it usually involves a steep fee.  I don’t have anything in the way of currency here but if there is something I can do to help please let me know.”  Leigh was close to tears.  She wasn’t sure exactly why, but the past day and night were finally catching up to her.  She tried to hold them back but felt them spill hotly onto her lap.

“I am not expecting anything from you if that is why you are worried.  I have my own reasons for this.” 

At his cold words Leigh looked up quickly.  “I never thought you did.  I apologize if I gave you that impression.  Please understand that for me, this is all so…so strange.  And that is putting it mildly.  I don’t even know where I can go or how I could take care of things myself if it weren’t for you.  I don’t want to depend on you so much, but I don’t seem to have much choice.”

At least her tears were dried up now.  She only wondered what he meant when he said he had his own reasons for helping.  She didn’t get a chance to ask about it though.  He had taken the opportunity to serve the soup.  He handed her a small cup filled with a soup that smelled surprisingly good.  She guessed if you had to cook for yourself often enough in these conditions you had to learn to cook well or not care.  She was only glad that it was the former.

She knew she was hungry, but she hadn’t realized how hungry until she finished the cupful and was hoping for more.  Without her having to say anything D simply reached out a hand for the cup and refilled it from the pot he had been eating from.  She felt bad that she was taking what was his, but he didn’t seem to want to argue about it.

She gratefully finished off the second cup as well but refused when he held out his hand again.  They sat in silence as he finished the rest of the pot and quickly took their gear out of the cave.  He was back after a short absence and stowed everything back in the pack.

While he put everything back he rummaged around and pulled out a small jar and what looked like bandages.  “Let me see your feet.”

Leigh had forgotten how much they had been hurting with everything else that was sore but hesitated to pull them out.  She could only imagine how dirty they must be after all the running she had done.

Since she wasn’t moving D got up and moved to her side of the fire.  He firmly but gently tugged her leg out and took her right foot in his hand.  He grabbed the water and wet a rag and started wiping off the dirt.  Leigh bit back her curse at the pain and allowed him to finish.  He obviously wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

Once he had it cleaned off he open the jar which contained what looked to be a salve of some sort.  He applied it with gentle fingers and then wrapped the foot.  He repeated the procedure on the other one.  “You will need to stay off those for a couple of days, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought.”

Leigh only nodded back to him.  She was too embarrassed to make any other reply.

Once he finished he went back to the other side of the fire and leaned against the cave wall near the entrance.  He pulled his hat down over his eyes and seemed to be going to sleep.  Leigh took that as her cue to turn in as well.  As sore as she was everywhere she was still exhausted from everything that happened that day and was able to fall asleep surprisingly fast.


	6. Chapter 6

## Chapter 6

When Leigh woke up the next morning she found herself alone in the cave.  She assumed D was outside getting everything ready for them to leave.  She wondered briefly about the fact that he hadn’t used a pallet and felt bad for taking both his bedroll, and his cloak.  She hadn’t needed the extra blanket though since the weather was still fairly warm.  She had started to fold up the bedroll and was about to get up and leave the cave when D ducked back in.  His sudden entrance surprised Leigh so much she almost dropped the bedroll but managed to hold on.  She handed it over to D without preamble.

He took it and set it beside the pack without looking.  His focus was still on Leigh.  “There is a stream not far from here.  I think we are clear for the moment.  Would you like to clean up before we leave?”

Leigh was struck dumb for a moment.  She had thought about finding a way to clean up the previous night but had decided it would have to wait.  His consideration this morning in that regard was surprising.  “If you think it is safe, I would love the opportunity.  Just getting this blood out of my hair would be wonderful.”  D nodded at her reply. 

Before she could stand though, D was at her side and had her lifted into his arms.  He ducked out of the cave and was already walking to the east before Leigh could find the words to stop him.  “You didn’t need to carry me.  I can walk!”

“I told you last night you should stay off your feet for a couple of days.  We’re here already anyway.”  Leigh was mortified but noticed they were indeed near a small stream.  It was shallow but clear and she wondered why she hadn’t heard the water the night before.

D gently sat her down on a boulder next to the stream and picked up one of her feet before she had a chance to say anything else.  He quickly unwrapped the foot and then reached for the other one.  Leigh grabbed his hand to stop him before he could finish.  “I can take it off myself, thank you though.”  She didn’t want him to think she didn’t appreciate it, but she couldn’t handle the embarrassment of being waited on any longer.

Thankfully he drew away without protest.  “Fine, I’ll rewrap them once you are finished.  Call out to me when you are done.  I will hear you.”  With that he handed her what looked to be a cake of soap and walked back toward the cave.  Leigh watched him for a moment and found that although he was prepping everything to leave, he kept his back turned to her the whole time.

She was still a little wary about disrobing in the open but feeling her hair once more convinced her she needed to wash up.  She undid the last bandage and looked at her own foot briefly for the first time.  There were a few cuts and it was bruised, but not as bad as she had expected.  There were luckily no signs of infection.  She was thankful he had taken the time to clean and wrap them the night before.

She gingerly stood and unclasped the cloak.  She took the time to lay it on the boulder she had just been sitting on.  She looked once more to the cave to make sure D was still occupied and then pulled her nightgown off as well.  Standing there in only her underwear she took the time to look at her gown.  It was cleaner than she expected, but it made sense when she thought about it.  She had been wearing D’s cloak when she was splattered.  She didn’t see the signs on his worn cloak, but she was sure it was in much worse shape.  Unfortunately, it was still the most protective thing she had to wear, and she could not afford to be without it while it dried.  She promised herself she would take the opportunity to clean it before she gave it back.

She slipped out of the last of her clothes and stepped into the water.  It was chilly but not unbearably so, especially since the weather had been so nice.  She waded out to the deepest part and found it still only reached her thighs.  She decided to get this over with as fast as possible.  She knelt in the water, so she was almost completely covered and leaned her hair back into the water.  She suppressed a chill and got to work lathering her hair and body with the soap.  It looked to be some variety of castile soap thankfully.  If it had been lye it would have been even harder on her hair, but she wasn’t going to complain.  At least it would be clean and blood free. 

As she rinsed she noticed the light pink tinge to the rinse and had to repress another shudder.  She took the opportunity to wash her underclothes as well.  She wouldn’t be able to put them back on straight away but at least they would be clean.  She was fairly certain she would be covered up enough for a few hours at least.  She wasn’t thrilled about the idea, but it was better than the alternative.

Once she was finished she walked back to the boulder while ringing out her thick curls.  She had to drip dry for a few minutes before she put her gown and the cloak back on.  There was no help for her wet hair.  Hopefully it would dry quickly once they were moving.  She let her feet trail in the water when she sat back down.  The cool water felt good on her feet.  She knew she couldn’t really delay them any longer though, so she called out to D to let him know she was finished.  He was back by her side in a minute and had the pack with him.  “Let me see your feet.”

He didn’t waste any time in redressing her feet.  Once he had them rebandaged he quickly picked her up and walked back to the horse.  It looked like everything was ready to go.  It looked like he was serious about her staying off her feet as well.  Once they got to the horse he didn’t put her on her feet, but straight in the saddle.  Leigh had to fight the blush that she could feel building in her face.  He carried her and lifted her as if she weighed nothing.  She knew she wasn’t exactly big, she was pretty petite at a whopping 5’2”, but he handled her as if she were made of air.

Trying to focus on getting settled she found that it was only slightly less comfortable than the day before.  By the time she was settled, D had the last of the items packed away and swung up in the saddle behind her.

Leigh tried to keep her hair off D as much as possible while they rode.  She didn’t sit stiffly away from him but kept her head leaned forward enough to let her hair dry.  As they traveled through the light woods Leigh kept her remaining wet clothes in front of her, trying to dry them as discreetly as possible.

This day was looking to be as silent as the one before.  Leigh took the opportunity to look around her at the strange world she now found herself.  She was surprised to see the end of the woods.  They were now starting into what looked like endless, open plains.

Once they hit the open plains it seemed as if the horse’s speed picked up significantly.  Leigh wasn’t jostled around any more than she had been previously, but the wind was whipping her hair back and the ground seemed to be going by at a much faster pace.  She couldn’t help but wonder at his maneuvering of the horse.  Leigh’s hair was finally dried, thanks to the wind generated by their speed but she still tried to keep it wrangled.  The last thing she wanted now was for it to get in D’s face.

As midday approached they found themselves at the bank of a river.  They had not been following a trail so there was no bridge at this point.  Without a word D steered the mount to the left along the bank and surprisingly it wasn’t long until they intersected a worn trail with a narrow bridge crossing the water.

Although the trail looked well worn, Leigh had yet to see another person.  She suddenly realized this would be the perfect time to stop so she could change and also see if she could do something about her hair.  She knew it was frizzier than normal, between the soap wash and the wild running.  “D, would it be possible for us to stop for a moment before we put this river behind us?”  For a moment she wondered if he had heard, since he had continued to cross, and was about to ask again, when he pulled up on the far side of the river.  He led the horse to the bank next to the bridge and leapt down.  He quickly turned to help Leigh down as well.

Leigh realized he meant to carry her again and quickly spoke up.  “I apologize D, but could I have just a moment alone please?”  No matter how hard she tried, she still felt her face heat up this time.  He raised a brow at her query but let her down on the bank of the river anyway.  He didn’t walk very far away, but at least he kept his back to her.  Leigh took advantage of the moment and quickly put on her undergarments.  They were still a bit damp but not so much that they would be uncomfortable.  Leigh had decided she was more uncomfortable out of them anyway.

Leigh had thought about rinsing off her face and dampening her hair while she was here but found that the bank on this side of the river was much higher.  She couldn’t even reach the water unless she laid on the ground and stretched, not something she was in the mood for right now.  With a sigh Leigh gave up on that idea and let D know she was ready to leave again.  They were quickly back in the saddle once more and on their way.  Leigh was surprised that D was being as helpful as he had been, but she supposed, he was sometimes generous in his stories. 

While she thought about that, she wondered again, how much of what she already knew was truth.  Had he already gone through any of the adventures she knew about or was this even earlier in his timeline.  Would he actually have to go through them at all?  This wasn’t something she could really ask about anyway, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

D had been preoccupied all day as well and Leigh was surprised to see it starting to grow dark.  They hadn’t reached the village yet, and she hadn’t expected to until the next day, but it didn’t look like they were planning to stop.  A fact that Leigh silently groaned over.  Her legs were so stiff she thought they would go numb soon.  She knew D was already going out of his way for her though and she was also sure he had a plan, so she kept her discomfort to herself.  She couldn’t help but be a little wary as full dark fell on them though.  She remembered everything she had ever read about this time and knew that, in every story, nighttime was dangerous.  D showed no signs of stopping though.  In fact, it seemed that the horse was being urged even faster.  Leigh couldn’t tell by the land passing them anymore, but she was starting to be jostled a bit more.

She was starting to get really worried, since it seemed they might be trying to out run something when Leigh noticed lights in front of them in the distance.  At first, she didn’t realize what it might be, but as they got closer she realized they must be at the village already.  It wasn’t long before Leigh could distinguish the walls surrounding the town, backlit by the lights in the village.  She couldn’t get an idea of how large the town might be though as it was mostly still dark.  They soon found themselves outside of the closed gate but before they could even dismount to knock a deep voice boomed out at them.  “What do you want this late at night?  Who are you?”

Leigh was startled to speechlessness.  She had never had to deal with something like this and didn’t even know how to start responding.  Luckily for them both D answered.  “Just passing travelers that couldn’t make it before nightfall.  If you have a local doctor, this young woman could use the help.”

A slit opened in the door and Leigh had to blink several times to let her eyes adjust to the bright light that spilled out.  Apparently, they found everything to their satisfaction because the door was opened just enough for them to slip in.  There were several men on the other side of the door, each holding some sort of gun trained on the two of them.  Leigh couldn’t help but think they weren’t as accepting as she first thought.  Once they cleared the door Leigh jumped a little as it slammed shut again.  The man that had first spoke to them stepped up to the horse.  “I’d appreciate it if you dismounted.  Nice and slow if you don’t mind.”

D dismounted at the request but when Leigh moved to dismount as well, he put a hand on her thigh to stop her.  “Her feet are injured.  Did you have a doctor here?”  The man peered around D to Leigh’s bandaged feet.  Once he saw them his posture relaxed a little, but no one lowered their weapons.  It was amazing to watch D stand there so nonchalantly with so many guns pointed directly at him.

The man seemed to deliberate for a moment but then he gestured with his gun.  “You’re lucky Doc Baxter’s place is on this side of town.  I’ll walk you over.”

With that D grabbed the reins and led the horse behind the guard.  They had only gone to the second house on the right and the man halted.  Apparently, it hadn’t been far at all.  D tied the horse to the post in front of the small building and lifted Leigh from the saddle.  The guard knocked on the door twice.  It wasn’t long until they saw lights come on inside the small building.  A middle age man with salt and pepper hair poked his head out.  “Jeb, what’s going on here?”

“Sorry to bother you Doc, but we had some strangers come asking for help.  It looks like the young lady here’s been hurt somehow.”  The man gestured back to the two of them.

When the doctor’s eyes landed on them they rounded in obvious surprise.  Leigh was confused for a moment but then realized that anyone might be surprised by D’s beauty and had to repress a sigh.  She wasn’t immune either but hadn’t really had the time to be distracted by it, thankfully.  She only wondered at how firm the gate guards all had been.  She mentally gave them kudos for keeping it together.

The doctor recovered his composure quickly and stepped back so they could enter.  The front room was small, but it looked like a sitting room anyway.  The doctor gestured for them to follow him further into the building.  The next room looked to be the exam room.  Leigh was fascinated by the contrast around her.  There were machines that looked far more complex than anything she had ever seen next to a shelf full of what looked to be different herbs, salves, and other things Leigh couldn’t identify.  The metal walls were sparse, but the room was clean.  There was no way she could try to convince herself now that this wasn’t a world far removed from her own.  This was too strange.

She was brought back to the present when D deposited her on the exam table.  The doctor had gathered a few things and set them beside her.  He gave her a quick once over.  His eyes first drawn to her forehead and then to her feet.  He really couldn’t see anything else as she was wrapped in D’s cloak still.

“That looks like a pretty nasty bump.  It’s not fresh though, the bruising is already a couple of days old, judging by the color.”  He had flashed her eyes while he was talking.  Leigh supposed that meant the examination had started.

She heard the door close quietly while the doctor picked up one of her feet.  When she glanced around she found the guard had left.  She guessed he felt they were ok now they were in the doctor’s hands.  She wouldn’t have been surprised to learn he had just stepped into the waiting room though.

“Well your feet are healing nicely too.  So, it looks like you had quite the adventure.  Does the head still hurt?”  Leigh’s attention was drawn back to the doctor in front of her.

“A little but not so much that I can’t handle it.  I had a pretty bad headache the first day but not since then.”  It was second nature for Leigh to answer as honestly as possible.

“Well, it looks like you had a small concussion but nothing to be too worried about.  Is there anything else?  You look like you got roughed up pretty good.”  Leigh could tell he was angling for an explanation but didn’t really know what to tell him.  She wanted to keep the details to herself for now, at least until she figured a few things out.

“No, not really.  Other than that, I’m alright.”  The doctor looked at her skeptically but didn’t press.

“Well, I can give you something for your head and it wouldn’t hurt for you to stay here for the night.”  At this he looked to D.  “Jeb said you’re passing through?  How long did you plan on staying?”

“Just long enough to resupply.”  D was straight to the point as usual.

“Well, if you can afford to take an extra day it wouldn’t hurt for this young woman to get some rest before you head back out.”  With that he handed her a small cup with a thick liquid in it.  Leigh took it from the doctor but looked to D before she swallowed it down.  At his imperceptible nod she went ahead and drank it.  The liquid was bitter and burned a little going down.

Once she finished the vile concoction the doctor opened one of the other two doors.  It was an even smaller room with a small cot.  Leigh stood to walk in there but didn’t get far before she was picked up once more.  “It was only a few steps.  You don’t need to carry me.” She could hear the exasperation in her own voice and hoped he didn’t think she was ungrateful.  The doctor nodded at D as he sat her on the narrow cot.

They both turned to walk out, and Leigh panicked a little.  She hadn’t realized they meant for her to stay with this stranger alone.  “Wait, where are you going to be D?”

At her question D looked to the doctor.  “Where is the nearest inn?”

“If you go straight down this road, in the center of town there are several shops and a small inn.  It isn’t too far.”  D gave him a nod of thanks and turned to Leigh.

“I’ll be back in the morning.”  Leigh wanted to call him back again, but her head was already feeling a little fuzzy and she was suddenly extremely tired.  She could only watch as they both walked out and closed the door behind them.

She was already asleep when the doctor poked his head back in to check on her.  She had fallen over where she sat so he rearranged her legs to make her more comfortable and covered her up before turning to find his own bed again.


	7. Chapter 7

## Chapter 7

Leigh woke to the sound of voices.  Her head was still a little foggy, so she had to look around a moment before she remembered where she was.  When she remembered the strange liquid she had been given the night before, she quickly sat up.  She looked around the tiny room and noticed there was bright sunlight streaming through a small window near the foot of the bed.  She also noticed she no longer heard any voices from the other room.  As she stood up she had to lean against the wall for a moment to steady herself.  Once the wave of dizziness passed she open the door just a crack to peak out.  When she found that there was no one in the small examination room she walked out.  She wasn’t sure why she was being so cautious, but since she was alone she didn’t want to run into any strangers.

She only had enough time to glance around the room once before the door to the outer room opened and the doctor came back in.  Leigh jumped slightly but was able to get her rapid heartbeat under control fairly easily.  “Ah, you’re up finally.  How do you feel?”  If he had noticed her small jump at his entry he didn’t note it.  He was giving her a smile while waiting for her response.

Leigh took a moment to assess herself and was surprised to find that now that she was up and walking around she felt the best she had in days.  She was completely refreshed.  “I feel great actually!  My head doesn’t hurt at all and most of the soreness is gone too.”

“Good.  You looked like you needed a good sleep more than anything.  I must have been right too since it’s already midday.”  At that Leigh couldn’t hold back her gasp.  She knew the sun was up and bright, but she hadn’t realized she’d slept away half the day.

The doctor chuckled at her obvious surprise.  Leigh suddenly wondered where D was.  He had said he would be back this morning and she had slept right through.  “Has my companion been here?”

“Yes, he stopped by early this morning and left some things for you.  I told him you were likely to sleep until much later, so he said he would check back.  That’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about but first, why don’t you sit here, and I’ll check and see how you’re doing.”  The doctor patted the examination table as he spoke.

Leigh obediently sat on the table and watched as the doctor first looked at one foot and then the other.  Once he rebandaged them he started to lightly probe the bump on her forehead and she was pleasantly surprised to find it barely hurt at all.  Once he was done he stepped back but not far enough for her to easily maneuver off the table.  It made Leigh a little nervous.  When he spoke up, she became nervous for a whole new reason.  “Last night you called your companion ‘D’.  Would he be the famous dhampir vampire hunter by that name?”

Leigh gave herself a mental kick for being so careless.  The last thing she wanted was to cause D problems and she could well remember how people in the frontier reacted to dhampirs.  Even if the stories were only half true it was more trouble than D needed or deserved.  Her anxiety must have shown on her face because he didn’t give her a chance to answer.  “I’m not usually one to pry but I know there are a lot of people in this town that won’t take kindly to a dhampir in town.”

Leigh mindlessly chewed the corner of her bottom lip for a moment before she answered.  “Your name was Doc Baxter, right?”  He nodded at her, not wanting to interrupt.  “Well, he is who you think but could you please not say anything?  I can promise that we will be moving on quickly.  We don’t even have to stay the extra day you recommended; just… please don’t say anything.”

At her impassioned plea the doctor only gave her a curious look.  Leigh could tell he was confused about something and a little bit afraid.  “Are you his client then?  Is he hunting a vampire for you or a loved one?”  At his last question he gave a pointed look at her unblemished neck. 

Leigh’s eyes widened as she understood his meaning.  “N-no!  He is helping me but not because, because of… that!” Leigh could feel her face start to heat up but more than being embarrassed she was starting to get worried.  Not only could this cause problems for D but there was no telling what would happen to her if they thought she had been bitten.

“Okay, Okay, just calm down.  I believe you, but I know I’m going to be asked.  Would you consent to a thorough examination to prove it?”  Leigh scowled back at him, but she could feel her face heat up even more anyway.  She was starting to wonder if there would be any way for her to get out of this.

She didn’t give him an answer right away as she was trying to think of a way to avoid it but when she couldn’t think of any alternative that wouldn’t involve a mad dash out of town, that she wasn’t even sure she could make, she decided there was no other way.  She couldn’t meet his gaze as she gave him a nod.

“I promise to be quick about it.  First I need you to remove your cloak and lie down.”  Leigh took a deep breath and tried to control herself.  This would be over quickly; she hated taking off the cloak.  Once she was on the table the doctor turned on a light over the table to make things brighter on her.  She closed her eyes and prayed it would be over as quick as he said.

She felt him turn her arms over and turn her head both ways to get a full look at her neck.  Once he was done with that he paused.  Before he moved on he put his hand on her shoulder.  “I’m going to need to look at your thighs now.  I won’t touch you if it’ll make you more comfortable, but I’ll need you to raise your… uh… dress… and move as I ask you to.”

Leigh had thought she couldn’t get any more embarrassed, but she was reevaluating that assumption.  With a deep sigh, she reminded herself the quicker she did this then the quicker she would be finished.  At that thought she quickly pulled her gown up to the top of her thighs and forced herself to look at the doctor.  Once that was done he continued.  “Thank you.  First, bend your right leg and lean it out slightly.”  Leigh followed his directions and then again for the other leg.

True to his word he hadn’t touched her and once he was satisfied that she had no bite marks anywhere he handed her the cloak again.  Leigh quickly stood and clasped it back around her shoulders, feeling infinitely better once she was covered again.  “Satisfied now?  I told you it was for other reasons.”

He gave her a quick nod.  Although Leigh was happy to have that over with, she couldn’t help but think about her first night and wondered how true her statements would have been if D had shown up any later.

Since she was distracted by her thoughts she was surprised when the doctor held a small bundle out to her.  “When he came by this morning he left this for you.  He said you would need it.”

Leigh took the package and found that it contained clothes and shoes.  Instantly her mood improved.  She was more excited than she thought she would be just to have something else to wear.  “Thank you!  Is it alright if I use the room I slept in to change?”

He smiled at her sudden change in mood and gave her a nod.  She quickly went back in the small room and closed the door firmly behind her.  She sat the package down on the bed and pulled out the contents.  It was a plain pair of pants and sleeveless shirt.  The shirt was an off-white color and the pants were a dark brown.  The material was not as smooth as her cotton nightgown, but it wasn’t so rough she couldn’t handle it.  There was also a thin pair of socks and small boots.

Leigh made quick work of getting changed.  She only lamented the fact that there was no bra.  She was happy enough to have real clothes though that she didn’t worry too much about it.  Once she was dressed she noticed the pants were a little tight through the hips and a tad too long.  They might be boy’s pants but once they were rolled up they were fine.  The shoes fit fine, surprisingly.

Once she was dressed she put her nightgown and the cloak in the package the clothes had been in and walked back into the examination room.  The doctor was not in the room waiting so Leigh headed to the outer room to see if he was out there.

When she entered the small waiting room she was surprised to see the doctor talking with D.  They both looked up at her entrance and the conversation stopped.  Leigh couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious under their scrutiny.

To break the silence, she closed the distance and addressed D.  “Thank you for getting these for me.  It feels great to be wearing actual clothes!” She gave him a bright smile, hoping to convey her appreciation.

He gave her a nod in response and turned back to the doctor.  “I’ll keep your advice in mind and make sure she doesn’t over exert herself.  Thank you for taking care of her.  Here’s your fee.”  D handed the doctor several strange coins and turned to the door.  He nodded his head to Leigh to indicate she should follow.

Before she followed D outside she turned to the doctor.  “Thank you for everything, and… please… um… well just thanks.”  Leigh was going to ask him to keep his silence about D, but she thought better of it.  She was confident enough that he would back them at least as far as her status was concerned now.  That was the most she could ask at this point.

The thought of D being harassed made her a little angry and even more sad but when she followed him out she only showed him a smile.  He was already doing so much, and she didn’t want him to think anything was wrong with her.  When she stepped up to him he was waiting next to the post, but his horse was not there.  Leigh gave a mental shrug and started walking the direction she assumed the hotel was in.  When she drew even with D he put his hand on her shoulder.  She stopped and gave him a look, but he didn’t say anything.  Instead he quickly picked her up and started walking.  “Wait!  D, the doctor said my feet were healing fine and I can walk now!”

Her voice came out a little more forcefully than she had intended but he had surprised her.  Without slowing down or even looking at her he gave her a terse reply.  “He also said you shouldn’t walk far and I didn’t think to bring the horse.  It won’t take long so be still.”

Leigh knew she wasn’t going to get anywhere by fighting with him, so she lowered her face and kept her silence.  She could feel her face burning but tried not to think about it too much.  Leigh vaguely noticed there were many other people walking the streets and that they were getting odd looks, but she was too mortified to pay them much mind.  She couldn’t even bring herself to look around at the strange environment that surrounded her.

It really was only a matter of minutes before D turned to enter one of the larger buildings around them, even if it had felt much longer to Leigh.  It was one of the few that had more than one story.  Before her eyes could even adjust to the dimmer interior light she was overwhelmed with several sets of soured emotions.  It was a sick making mix of anger, hate and fear.  The fear was the most predominant, but the others were strong enough to bring her head up sharply.

At the same time D had stopped.  They were standing in the middle of what looked to be some kind of bar with three men blocking the stairwell.  There were only a couple of other patrons and the barkeep in the room.  Leigh could feel fear coming from them all, but the nastiest mix of emotions was coming from the three by the stairs.

Before she was able to say anything to D, the largest of the three spoke up in a loud voice.  “Hey, are you really that dirty dhampir that supposed to hunt the nobility?”

Leigh felt a brief flash of irritation and sadness from D, but it disappeared so fast she almost didn’t notice it.  It was long enough for her to completely lose her temper at the idiots in front of her.  Even if D could be dangerous, he never intentionally caused trouble, or at least as far as she could remember from the stories.  Not to mention he had been kind to her.  He had never given her a reason to doubt him.

D didn’t look like he was going to answer them.  He gave them a cold look that screamed ‘move!’ even if he didn’t say anything.  Leigh could see them start to sweat but they still weren’t moving.  She gave them another moment and when they still stood there staring at the two of them, Leigh decided she had had enough.

“Does it matter who he is?  Can’t you see we have things to do?  No matter who he is, I can promise he’s much nicer than assholes like the three of you!”  Leigh hadn’t even thought about what she was going to say before she opened her mouth, but she was too angry now to care.  She was finally brought to her senses when she felt the surprise rolling off D.  She sheepishly looked up to his face.  His expression was still blank, but he raised his eyebrow at her in a gesture that, for him, spoke volumes.

Leigh had to fight the blush she felt coming on, but she couldn’t bring herself to be sorry for speaking out.  She turned back to the three next to the stairs to see looks ranging from surprise to disgust.  She could feel even more anger and now the disgust to mirror their expressions.  Unfortunately, she could tell the disgust was mostly for her.

“Are we supposed to care what a whore of the nobility has to say?”  The largest man took a step forward as he shot her one of the dirtiest looks she had ever seen.

As his words sank in, Leigh could feel her own temper start to boil over.  She knew she shouldn’t care what these strangers thought but they were talking about more than just her.  Before she had a chance to utter another word though, D gently let her down and moved to stand in front of her.

Faster than she could see, D had the tip of his sword pressed to the throat of the one that kept running his mouth.  Leigh could hear frantic movement break out behind her and saw the barkeep fretting nearby but no one moved to interfere.

“I will only say this once.  I am going upstairs now.  You can either move or not, but you won’t live long enough to hit the floor if you don’t.”  D’s voice was so cold, and Leigh could feel an oppressive aura rolling off him.  It made her want to curl up on the floor, but she kept reminding herself it wasn’t aimed at her.

It still took all she had to keep standing.  The three in front of her were not so lucky.  The two that had remained silent were already on their knees and their leader looked like he was about to throw up.  She watched as he swallowed twice before he could manage to make any sound.

His eyes were wide with fear and Leigh noticed that fear was almost the only emotion she felt now.  She also noticed a small amount of amusement that confused her at first until she recognized the fuzzy feel of the emotions and realized it was coming from D’s left hand.

When she realized where the humor was coming from she almost smirked.  Only the tension in the room reminded her that this was a serious situation, even if some were enjoying themselves.

By this time the man had finally found his voice.  “Uh, sorry about that.  You, ah, enjoy your stay.”  As soon as the man had finished speaking D sheathed his blade as quickly as it had been drawn.  He also pulled the horrible aura back in and the tension in the room broke.

As soon as the aura subsided the three men scrambled to their feet and hurried out of the front door.  Without looking back at them D started toward the stairs and Leigh jumped to follow.  At the top of the stairs was a long hallway with several doors.  D walked to the end of the hall and opened the last door on the right.  He waited for Leigh to enter and then closed and locked the door behind them.

The room was simple.  It had a small table against the wall to the left of the door and a bed near the far wall, next to the only window in the room.  The only other things in the room was a small sink and D’s pack in the corner near the bed.  Leigh quietly walked to the window to see what was outside.  The view was the back of the hotel.  There was another building nearby and a small alley between them.  Once her curiosity was satisfied she turned back to D.  This had also given her a chance to calm down from the situation downstairs.  She felt a little bad that her loud mouth had brought the situation to a head like it had but she wasn’t convinced it wouldn’t have ended similarly anyway.  Those three were the worst example of bigots she had ever felt.  She sighed as she realized that bigotry was a problem no matter where you went, if humanity was involved it seemed.

While she had been trying to calm herself, D had been busy with the packs.  Leigh hadn’t thought about it when she set the bundle she had been carrying down, but D already had his cloak back on and was almost to the door again.  “I will finish getting the supplies we need.  Rest as much as you can since we will be leaving early.  I’ll be back shortly so make sure the door is locked as soon as I leave.”

Leigh started at his words.  She hadn’t even had a chance to thank him yet.  “Wait, um, before you leave I wanted to tell you thank you for everything.  You don’t know what it has meant to me to have someone to help in this situation.”

“I told you before, I have my own reasons for helping.  Just focus on resting.”  Leigh wasn’t sure what she had been expecting but his tone was completely cold.  It contrasted deeply with his actions up to this point.  She was still puzzling over this contradiction while D made to leave once again.  Before he was out the door though, Leigh caught site of the cloak and suddenly remembered that she had wanted to clean it before she gave it back.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she called out again.  “Oh D, wait!”  She wasn’t sure if he would stop again but he paused in the door and turned back to her.  “Hey, I know your cloak was splattered with blood when I was wearing it and I would like to clean it before you take it back… please.”  Leigh could feel outright amusement now, but D’s face was still impassive.  She knew it had to be coming from D’s companion and had to repress the urge to give him a gesture that would not have been very appropriate.

Her attention was drawn back to D’s face as he finally responded.  “It will be fine.  I don’t require you to take care of it for me.”

Leigh almost rolled her eyes.  She thought he might turn her down, but she didn’t like having it confirmed.  “I know you probably don’t need any help from me, but it’s something I can handle easily.  If you have a good brush I can take care of it in no time.  I really would like to do this, please?”

D didn’t move for a few moments while he stared at Leigh.  Finally, there was an imperceptible loosening in his expression.  Leigh almost didn’t notice the difference, but he stepped back into the room.  To Leigh’s surprise D unclasped his cloak and handed it to her.  Before he walked out of the room he gestured to the pack.  “The brush is in the pack.  Remember to lock the door when I leave.”

Leigh was still surprised as he closed the door when he walked out.  She had really wanted to do this for him but hadn’t expected him to hand it back so easily after he was wearing it once again.  She shook herself out of her mental stupor and checked the door before moving to the pack.  It didn’t take her long to locate the brush and set in to take care of D’s cloak.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The partial lyrics in this chapter are from the song 'I Will Follow You Into The Dark' by Death Cab For Cutie.

## Chapter 8

Leigh was looking at the cloak spread out over the bed.  She had hoped to find a place to hang it while she worked but she couldn’t even find a hook.  This would have to work.  She kneeled down next to the bed and started looking for the worst spots.  It took some time since the cloak was so dark but once she found them she set to work with short, brisk strokes.  Her hands automatically took over in the familiar pattern and her mind started to drift.  She remembered many times she had done the same thing for her father when his coats were dirtied.  Since he lived, and worked, on a ranch it happened often enough.

Thinking about her father had Leigh reminiscing about those summers she spent with him.  At the time she always felt a little out of place, since her personality clashed with her father’s, but it was nice being in those wide-open spaces with few people around.  Looking back, it made Leigh smile to herself as she remembered the fact that he always made sure she learned something new and what he considered useful.  She had to laugh a little as she started to see how many of those skills might come in handy rather soon.

She almost regretted not trying to learn more now.  She had been a bit of an emo child growing up so life on a ranch didn’t really appeal to her.  Looking back though, she had to repress a pang of nostalgia.  She wasn’t sure if she would ever even get to see her father again, but she vowed if she did she would make sure to tell him how much she appreciated everything he taught her.

By this time, she had almost finished brushing out the worst of the grime and was moving on to the long strokes to finish.  Thinking about her past summers had her quietly humming a tune to herself.  At first, she didn’t even realize that she was humming but once she picked up the tune that had come to mind she started singing to herself.  It was a tune from her teens, but she still loved it.  The longer she sang the more the words came back to her and by the time she hit the chorus her voice was full and clear. 

“ _If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied,_

_Illuminate the noes on their vacancy signs_

_If there’s no one beside you when your soul embarks_

_I’ll follow you into the dark.”_

She finished the last note as she finished the last brush stroke and stood up.  When she did she almost fell over again at the voice behind her.  “You should take care and be a little more aware of your surroundings.”

She whirled around to see D leaning against the door watching her.  “How long have you been back?”

D didn’t bother answering her.  He picked up the pack that was sitting on the floor next to him.  Leigh guessed it must be the extra supplies he went out to get.  Once he set them down on the table he turned to her once more.  “That was an… interesting song.  I’ve never heard it before.”

Leigh blushed as she realized he was there long enough for her impromptu performance.  “Well, it’s just a song I really liked when I was younger.  I… was thinking about my family, and…well…”  Her words trailed off as she remembered she could very well never see any of her loved ones again.  She barely managed to keep from crying.

She jerked her head back up as she felt D’s grasp on her arm.  He wordlessly maneuvered her to sit on the edge of the bed.  Once she was seated he moved the chair over to sit across from her.  “I have already told you we will figure out how to get you back.  Don’t focus on it.  We have other things to think on for now.”

Leigh couldn’t repress her snort.  It was easy for him to say not to worry about it, but if they couldn’t find a way she wasn’t sure how the rest of her life would play out.  She kept those thoughts to herself though and looked back to D.  He looked to have more to say.

“We have to figure out the next steps but before we do I have some more questions for you.”  Leigh wasn’t sure what other information she could provide that she hadn’t already but nodded anyway.

“First, how did you get that pendant?”  This question took Leigh by surprise.  She had completely forgotten she was still wearing it.  She had it tucked into her shirt and it stayed warm against her skin.

“I bought it.  The same day I ended up here actually.  Why?  Do you recognize it?”  Leigh could barely believe there could be a connection, but as she remembered the strange woman that sold it to her, it became harder to write it off.

“You don’t know its history?  You don’t know what you’re wearing so easily?”  The look he was giving her almost made her cringe, it was so stern, but she managed to answer anyway.

“Look, if it has a history I never knew it.  I thought it was a handmade piece from a local oddities shop.  She sold it to me for a steal too.  The only thing is…”  Leigh wasn’t sure how she could explain about not feeling him or the strange woman.  She had gone so long not talking about her ‘gift’ with anyone that bringing it out in the open now felt a little strange.

Thankfully D didn’t push her.  He did give her a look that said he expected her to finish though.  “Well, I told you I was an empath, right?  Do you… do you know what that means for me?”

D leaned back a little and looked at Leigh.  It took him several moments before he answered.  “I have heard of the ability before, but I have never met anyone else that shared it.  You feel the feelings of those around you, correct?”  Leigh gave him a nod.  “What does that have to do with the pendant?”

Leigh took a deep breath to give herself the strength to continue.  She was too used to bad reactions, but she knew she had to tell him.  “Well, I learned years ago to block out most things.  Unless they are really strong they are more like a buzzing in the back of my mind instead of clear impressions.  I can ‘tune them in’ so to speak but I usually don’t.  Even though I block them I can still tell they’re there.  There have only been two cases where I couldn’t feel a person.  One was the woman that sold me the pendant.”

“Who was the other?”  Leigh repressed a sigh.  She had hoped he wouldn’t ask but she knew that was asking too much.

“The other was… is… you.”  Leigh couldn’t bring herself to look at him but after the silence dragged out she couldn’t help but turn her gaze to his impassive face.  It was times like these that she wished she could tell what he was feeling but resisted the urge to reach out and touch him.

Once she was facing him again he spoke up.  “You cannot feel anything from me at all?”

This was another question she had hoped he wouldn’t ask but she knew he had a built-in lie detector.  There was no way she could not answer him either.  “Not exactly.  I can’t feel anything from you right now, but if you touch me I can get a pretty clear reading.”  After this the silence dragged on again.  She could only imagine the things he was thinking.  It never went over well when she told someone she could feel what they felt.  To her surprise though, D didn’t mention anything else about it when he spoke up again.

“Was it the same for the woman who gave you the pendant?”  Leigh had to think back.  She clearly recalled not feeling anything from the woman, but she hadn’t noticed it while she was with her.

“Honestly, I couldn’t tell you.  She only touched me twice and both times were so brief I doubt I would have noticed anything.  It was such an odd occurrence that I didn’t even notice the lack of emotions until after I had left her.”

D appeared to be deep in thought, but his silence was much shorter than before.  “It would appear the likelihood of a connection between your time travel and that pendant is much higher than I originally expected.”

Leigh was surprised by his declaration.  She had not even thought of that as a possibility.  She pulled the pendant out to look at it once more and was surprised to see it had a faint glow about it.  She wondered how long it had been like that and why she hadn’t noticed it before. 

Her perusal of the pendant was broken by D.  “There is more to that than you may realize.  There is a… connection between that and something I have been looking for.  It needs deeper investigation.  I suggest we start where I first found you.”

Leigh looked at D in surprise.  The thought of revisiting that creepy castle made her shiver, but she knew they had to start somewhere.  If there were any clues left, it made sense to start there.

“Alright.  Will we be leaving first thing in the morning?”  Once Leigh made up her mind there was no point in getting worked up about it.  She had to keep looking forward or else lose her mind worrying about what was going to happen.

“Yes, you should rest well tonight.  It will take a couple of days to get back there and we won’t be resting much.”  Leigh wasn’t surprised.  Now that they had a goal in mind she was sure he would want to get moving quickly.

D stood and walked back to the pack he had brought in with him.  He looked in it for a moment and pulled something out.  Much to Leigh’s surprise he brought two small bottles over and handed them to her.  “I was told you would appreciate these.”

Leigh looked back and forth between D’s expressionless face and the two bottles he held out.  She tentatively took them from him only briefly noting he pulled his hand back quickly once she had them in hand.  “What is this?”

D had already turned to work on splitting the two packs evenly with the new supplies and she thought he might not have heard her.  Before she could ask again he finally answered.  “It’s for your hair.  There is a ribbon here as well.”

Leigh was taken by surprise.  That was the last thing she expected to hear from someone like D, but he had said he had been told she would appreciate it.  She wondered if it had been his left hand that mentioned it and vowed to at least try to think nicer about him when he was annoying her.  Before she could speak up to thank him though he continued.  “There is a bathing room downstairs.  If you would like to clean up before you turn in for the night, I can arrange it.”

Again, she was shocked by his consideration.  She wasn’t sure if he was being nice because someone had mentioned he should or if she caught him in a giving mood, but she was going to make the most of it while she could.  If his warning earlier had been any indication, then this might be the last time she could relax for a while.

“Thank you for mentioning it.  It would be nice to clean up and relax a little before we get going to god knows where.”  At her remark he finally turned to look at her.  His face was still a blank mask, but she thought she saw a touch of amusement in his eyes before he nodded to her.

He was out the door before she could say anything else.  While she waited for him to return she went to look through the pack that she presumed would be hers to carry.  As she went through and found the basics she expected, a thought occurred to her.  She wondered if they would still be using one horse, or if he had planned for another while he had been out.  She would try to remember to ask him about it later.

It wasn’t long at all before he returned.  He had a key in hand that he handed over as soon as the door was shut.  “The room is downstairs, down the hall next to the stairs.  It will be the first room on the right.  The innkeeper said he could have it ready for you immediately.”

Leigh took the key with a smile.  She was really looking forward to a hot bath.  More than she ever thought she would.  “Thank you so much!  I won’t take too long.”

“Take as long as you need.  Just remember to watch your surroundings.”  His warning served to bring her down a little bit, but she knew it was warranted, especially after the scene earlier.  She wasn’t nearly as intimidating as D and no matter the self-defense she knew, it would still be bad if she were caught up with a group of people like those men.

She gave D a nod that she understood his warning and slipped out the door.  She heard the lock click behind her as she started down the hallway.  When she got to the top of the stairs she paused before going down.  She was trying to see if she felt anything out of the ordinary in the bar before she showed herself.

She gave a wry smile as she realized the gift she had always cursed might actually come in handy for some things.  When she determined there were still very few people downstairs and none of them seemed to have the feel of the ones from earlier, she slipped down the stairs. 

She made every effort to not draw attention to herself and tried to get into the hallway as quickly as possible.  Her extra senses were still on high alert, but she only felt a mild curiosity from one person.  Once she was in the room D had indicated and locked the door behind her she looked around for any others.  When she found herself alone finally she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief.  Leigh hated even having to think like this but somehow, she knew what she had seen already was not going to be the worst of it.  She had to at least try to mentally prepare herself to meet things that would normally only be in nightmares.  She wasn’t sure why she had been pulled into this strange time but one thing she was sure of was that this place was inherently more dangerous than anything she had ever thought she might face.

With another sigh she pulled away from the door and took a better look around.  There was a large tub on a slightly raised platform filled with steaming water and a large pitcher to one side.  There was also a small table against the wall with various soaps and towels.  Leigh had brought the two little bottles that D had given her but as she looked to the little table she decided she might not have to use them.  Some part of her was a little loathe to waste his thoughtfulness yet.

She looked through the things on the table and was pleased to find they had everything she would need.  Once she picked out the things she needed, she set them next to the pitcher.  She quickly undressed and slipped into the tub.  Instantly she could feel her muscles start to relax in places she didn’t even realize she was tense.  She gave herself a few minutes to soak up the steam.  After that she reluctantly got to work cleaning up.  She enjoyed being able to wash her hair properly for the first time in days but reminded herself she needed to be quick about it.  She didn’t give herself much more time since there was no telling how things could turn outside this room and she didn’t want to cause any more trouble than she already had.

Once she was clean and her skin was bright red from the water she made herself step out.  She quickly dried and dressed, making sure to dry her hair as best as she could first.  Once she was ready she stopped at the door once more to make sure she didn’t feel anything nearby.  Satisfied that she was still alone she slipped out and headed back to the stairs.  She breathed a silent sigh of relief as she found the situation in the barroom hadn’t changed since she first came through.  She was up the stairs and down the hall and this time without feeling anyone notice at all.

When she got to the room she quietly opened the door to find D in the chair across from the door.  He had his feet propped up on the end of the bed and his head was down.  He gave the impression of resting but somehow Leigh knew he was still awake.  Something told her it was probably harder for him to relax in a town like this than it would be for him to actually rest in the open frontier, wild beasts and all.  The thought made her a little sad.

She tried not to disturb him anyway as she put her things away and turned to the bed.  For some reason she just now realized there were two people and only one bed.  She wasn’t sure why the thought hadn’t struck her before now.  She gave D a hard look, but his face was still covered by his large hat.  She wasn’t sure if she should try to ask him what he wanted or go with what he had already obviously laid out.  The part of her that couldn’t accept this after all he had done won out.  She almost reached out to shake him but thought better of it before she made contact.  Instead she called his name.  When he didn’t answer she called out again, this time a little louder.

After a moment she noticed a distinct feeling of amusement and realized D’s companion was getting a kick out of the situation.  She wasn’t sure if he slept when D did, or if he ever slept at all, but she had to remind herself that if she gave him the gesture she was thinking of he would probably somehow see it anyway.  That was the only thing that kept her hand still.

Finally, D tipped his hat back up and looked at her.  If it had been anyone else she would have sworn there was a slight look of annoyance, but this was D and that couldn’t be possible.  He never showed anything.  Leigh gave herself a shake.  She couldn’t call out to him and then stare at him when he finally answered her.  “Oh, um, I just wanted to see if you wanted the bed.  I don’t mind sleeping in the chair tonight.”

D looked at her for a moment before tilting his head back down.  At first, she thought he was going to ignore her, but she finally heard his quiet reply.  “Get some sleep.  There will be no guarantees of good rest for a while.  Take the opportunity while you can.”

Leigh had already figured this was going to be his response, but she still didn’t like it.  She would have to make sure she made it up to him somehow.  She knew this world was strange to her and there was a lot she really didn’t know; reading about something and living it were two totally different things.  Still, she knew she wasn’t completely helpless, she had to figure out a way to make herself useful.  This was the thought that consumed her as she finally laid down.  She kept thinking about things she could do to be of use in the upcoming days until sleep finally claimed her.


	9. Chapter 9

## Chapter 9

When Leigh woke up the next morning she was greeted by the sight of D sitting at the small table in their room.  She was still a little spaced from waking up, but it looked as if he had dropped some sort of capsule in a small glass of water and was currently staring at it.  She was so busy trying to figure out what she was seeing that she hadn’t moved yet.

As her head cleared more, she noticed the liquid was becoming a deep red and after a few moments D drank it quickly.  Leigh couldn’t contain her gasp as she realized what the liquid must have been.  She had forgotten that even D needed a fill in occasionally.  This served as another reminder that she was in a world far removed from her own, with rules she only had a tenuous grasp of.

D raised his gaze at her gasp but looked away almost immediately.  He was quickly on his feet and gathering their things together.  He ruffled through the packs, pulled a few things out and set them on the table.  As he was working he spoke to Leigh over his shoulder.  “We must leave soon.  I’ll be waiting with the horse.”

With that, he grabbed one of the packs and walked out the door.  Leigh could only shake her head at his brusqueness first thing in the morning.  She wasn’t exactly a morning person but that was taking it to new levels, although she wasn’t really surprised.

With a shake of her head she stretched and got moving.  She used the sink to splash some chilly water on her face, effectively finishing waking her up and moved to see what was left out on the table.

She smiled when she saw a comb and ribbon.  She had forgotten that D had said he had one for her and seeing it reminded her that he had his moments, no matter how hard he appeared most of the time.

She quickly combed through her hair and braided it back.  It was long and curly enough that anything else would produce endless tangles.  It had been a pain combing them out with her fingers the last time she had been on a horse with D.

Once she had that finished she put everything back in the pack and headed downstairs.  The common room was completely empty at this hour, so she headed straight outside.

She noticed the sun was barely coming up and there was still dew covering most everything.  D already had everything stashed in the saddlebags and was leaning on the post waiting for her to join him.

Leigh did make note that they still only had one horse.  She stifled a sigh.  After her confession yesterday, she wasn’t sure how D would feel about having her touch him.  She wasn’t sure why he decided on one horse, but she hoped it wouldn’t get too awkward.  She would have to be extra careful.

As she reached him D took the other pack from her but didn’t immediately put it in the saddlebag.  Leigh gave him a curious look as he went through it once more.  She was curious what he was looking for until, to her surprise, he pulled out a smaller cloak and handed it to her.  It was thin, but she could tell it was sturdy.  Leigh took it from him and clasped it on with a smile.  It was nice traveling with someone that had an eye for the details. 

Once she had the cloak on she started to mount the horse with one foot in the stirrup.  She had realized there was something she had wanted to talk to D about before they left town.  “Oh!  I almost forgot!  D, I, um, well I hate to ask you, but I was wondering if we might be able to get me a gun before we leave town?”

At her request, he finally stopped and stared at her for a few moments.  She had given a lot of thought to the question of self-defense the previous night and this was the best solution she could think of in this situation.  She knew how to handle both pistols and rifles, at least the kinds she was used to seeing.  As long as they didn’t have different firing mechanisms, she was sure she could still handle one.

She was taken by surprise by his response however.  “Why would you require a gun?”  He hadn’t denied her outright, but she had to keep herself from rolling her eyes.  Of course, he wouldn’t think about her defending herself if he was close by, but she didn’t see the need to rely solely on him.

“Well, I know you can handle most anything, but wouldn’t it be better if something were to happen and I could take care of myself instead of you having to take care of both of us?  I don’t know how different guns are now than they are… were, in my time, but I was a decent enough shot when I had to be.  I thought it might make it easier on you in the long run.”

She couldn’t tell much from his expression, but she assumed his silence meant he was deliberating over her response.  Finally, he grabbed the reins and started walking with a gesture of his head for her to follow.  She wasn’t sure if that meant he agreed or not until they stopped just across the square.

There were very few people out and about at that time of the morning, but it luckily looked like it wasn’t too early for the business they walked into to be open.  When Leigh got a good look around she found it to be some sort of general store.

While she looked around D went straight to the counter and described what he needed.  She kept an ear on the exchange but some of what they were talking about she couldn’t understand.  In the end they ended up leaving with what looked like a pistol in a shoulder holster. 

D gave her a quick explanation about it, and it turned out to be a miniature laser gun, but at least it had a shape and trigger she was familiar with.  It was only a plus as far as Leigh was concerned that she didn’t need to carry ammo too.

Their little detour put them behind schedule but not by much.  It had only taken a little over a half hour to get everything worked out.  Once Leigh had her new weapon strapped on under her cloak she was in the saddle and ready to go.  To her surprise, D did not join her immediately.  He walked next to the horse all the way to the gates with no further words.

Leaving the village was much easier than entering it.  Leigh could feel the mixed hatred and relief from the group of guards as they let them out of the gate.  This soured Leigh’s mood, but no one said anything to them, so she let it pass.  She was more familiar than she would like to be with the fact that it was hard to change people’s minds once they decided they would or would not like a person.

Once they cleared the gates D finally got in the saddle as well.  He got the horse into a gallop as soon as he was in the saddle, but Leigh could tell he was trying his best to keep as much distance as the saddle would allow between them.  This only served to further depress her mood.  She knew this was a probability, but she had hoped it wouldn’t have been such a big deal.

Leigh tried her best to focus on their surroundings instead.  They seemed to be going at a rather speedy pace.  If she had been on the horse with anyone other than D she might have been a little bit afraid, but he handled the constant gallop in a way that Leigh only swayed slightly instead of being jostled.

She did her best all morning to try and keep the distance between them as well but as midday was approaching she had just about had enough.  Having to share a saddle and force room between them made for an uncomfortable ride, no matter how well D handled the horse.  Leigh was already starting to feel her muscles knot up from the effort.

She had resolved to say something when she saw something in the distance.  She chuckled wryly to herself as she realized what she was seeing.  They were already back to the river they had crossed on the way through the first time.  It had only been a couple of days past, but it seemed like so much longer to Leigh.  So much had happened and somehow, she felt things weren’t going to get any less hectic.

They passed the river and continued on.  The fact that they stayed on the road only briefly distracted her.  She wondered why they didn’t follow the same path they had used before but dismissed the thought quickly.  She was sure D knew where he was going and the fastest way to get there.

Her thoughts wandered back again to her stiff muscles and decided something had to be done.  If they were going to be traveling together for any amount of time, this would be way too awkward to keep up.

Taking a deep breath to gather her nerves, she finally turned as far as the saddle would allow and addressed D.  “There’s something I need to talk to you about please.”

She waited until she could at least tell she had his attention and continued.  “I… I understand how you might feel a little uncomfortable being in contact with me, since you know now that… I can… well… you know.”  Leigh knew she was starting out poorly, but she couldn’t give up now that she started.  She took another deep breath and tried again.  “Sorry, it’s uncomfortable for me too and the only reason I even bring it up is because we have to travel together.  I promise I am doing everything in my power to block everything I’m reading.  I realize that might not mean much to you since we are still practically strangers, but… I don’t really tell people about this to begin with.  I didn’t ask to be born like this, but I do try to keep my boundaries tight.  I don’t like being inundated by other people’s feelings either.”

True to her statement, Leigh was putting extra effort into blocking whatever was being broadcast from D, so she had no idea what he was feeling but his gaze became hooded.  She wasn’t sure how he was taking this, but she wasn’t about to give up yet.  “Look, all I’m asking is that if we have to travel together that it not be as awkward as it has been all morning.  I don’t know about you, but for me it’s super uncomfortable.”

At that, she paused and gave him time to answer, if he would.  The silence stretched as they sat there looking at each other.  The longer the silence stretched, the more embarrassed Leigh became.  She was almost to the point of giving up and turning back around in a huff when D finally responded.

“It does make me uncomfortable, but I will take you at your word.  You are correct in the fact that this will become difficult if we proceed in this manner.  I… apologize for making you feel uncomfortable as well.”

Leigh had to blinked twice, trying to take in the fact that he had apologized to her.  She quickly recovered though and managed to give him a bright smile.  “Thank you!”

With that she turned back around and managed to relax a little.  She could feel D relax some as well.  She still tried not to lean into him, which had more to do with the fact that the longer she spent close to him the more flustered she got, but she wasn’t trying to avoid touching him anymore and vice versa.

The rest of the day passed quietly.  They didn’t even need to stop for meals.  Leigh was surprised to find some of the supplies D brought were nutritional capsules.  He gave her a couple throughout the day.  She knew they were supposed to provide all her nutritional needs but somehow, she still felt a little hungry.  It was a psychological thing, she knew, but she couldn’t manage to brush the thought away.

She only managed to quit thinking about it as night started to fall.  The road they travelled on had already entered the forest earlier in the day.  This part of the forest was thicker than the forest they had passed through several days previously and as she looked around she couldn’t see any hills that might indicate a good place to stop.

As it became full night, leigh realized she was starting to get extremely tired and wondered where they were going to rest.  “Uh, D, are we going to be stopping for the night soon?”

She felt D shift slightly behind her, so she looked back at him.  It was dark enough that she could barely make out his features, but his brows were slightly furrowed.  “We won’t be stopping.  If you need to sleep, I will make sure you don’t fall.”

This announcement took Leigh by surprise, but she knew there was no point in arguing.  He had taken care of her needs up to this point so if he wasn’t planning to stop tonight, he had to have a reason.  Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure how she would be able to sleep on a moving horse.

Leigh wasn’t sure how long it had been since D had said they weren’t stopping but she had given up on trying to stifle her yawns.  She had already started to doze twice but jerked awake as her head tilted down.  By this time her thoughts were too fuzzy to concentrate on any one thing.

Sometime later Leigh opened her eyes and blinked several times.  She was overcome with a feeling of confusion as she looked out and noticed the sun starting to come up.  At about the same time she woke enough to realize she was seeing the dawn because she must have finally fallen asleep she realized she was leaning against D with his arm around her waist.

As she noticed his arm she realized the reason she was overcome by the confusion was because it wasn’t just hers.  It was coming off D in thick waves.  She stifled a gasp and slammed her mental shields back in place.  Instantly she sat up and felt herself slip out of the circle of his arm. 

She could feel her face burning with the embarrassment of breaking her word after only a day.  Her only consolation was that she had been asleep and thus had no control over it.  When she finally managed to get herself back under control she turned to look at him.  If he was still feeling the confusion from earlier, his face showed no signs of it. 

Although Leigh couldn’t help but wonder what had him in that state of mind, she viciously shoved those thoughts down as she greeted him.  “Good morning.  Ah, thanks for letting me sleep.  I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep after all.”

He nodded in response to her greeting.  “We will be arriving soon.  Since it will be daylight when we arrive I will need to check for any deterrents that might still be active.  I will have you come in with me once I have shut everything down.”

Leigh couldn’t help but smile.  She knew this wasn’t the time for it really, but he had given her an explanation without her even asking for one.  She wasn’t sure why, but it was nice to know he thought enough about her to do so.

True to his word, it was close to an hour, as far as Leigh could tell, when they arrived at the castle where this adventure started.  Looking at it in the daylight did little to improve upon the creepy vibe she got from the imposing structure.

When they arrived, D asked her to stay with the horse while he completed his inspection of the outside.  She watched him approach the building and then walk the perimeter, marveling again at his incredible speed.

 When he disappeared around the corner of the building Leigh looked around and found what it was that struck her as off the first time she laid eyes on the castle.  Although it was designed to look like castles of old, in the light it was easy to see it was not made from the rough-hewn stone that she would have been familiar with.  She couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but it was much smoother.  The joints were almost nonexistent.

She didn’t have much of an opportunity to evaluate the building before D appeared around the opposite corner and headed back to her.  She was already dismounted by the time he reached her.  He didn’t need to say anything.  He tied the horse’s reins to a wild topiary along the walkway.

Up close Leigh wasn’t any closer to being able to identify the material of the walls, although it looked to be metal and not stone.  When they reached the large doors, D placed his hand on them.  There was a dim blue light that briefly flashed between his hand and the door and then the door swung silently open.

The hall beyond the open door was completely dark.  It even seemed to defy the early morning light that was starting to brighten the rest of the world.  Looking into that darkness, Leigh suddenly remembered her first night and the bloodlust she felt from the occupants.

She was so absorbed in her memories that she hadn’t noticed D had already started down the hall.  When he noticed she was not right behind him he walked back to her side.  He quickly pulled something from the belt around his waist and handed it to her.  Leigh was surprised to see a lantern that fit in the palm of her hand.

She looked at D with surprise.  “Turn it over to activate it.  Flip it again to extinguish it.”

He didn’t wait for her to respond before he headed back down the hall.  Leigh took a couple of steps into the dark and then flipped the small lantern.  When a bright light filled the area around her the knot of tension in her stomach released a notch.  She smiled at D’s retreating back for his thoughtfulness and then hurried to catch up with him.  He wasn’t going his full speed, but he wasn’t strolling either, so she had to jog to reach him.

Once she reached him she allowed her extra senses to expand.  Since she wasn’t in contact with D, she had no qualms with trying to make sure they were alone in this creepy place.  She was relieved to find D’s companion was the only one she felt.

She was still nervous but was able to look around as they proceeded.  If they had been here under different circumstances she would have enjoyed taking her time to look around.  From what she could see the whole place was elegant.  It had a classic gothic look with heavy wooden décor.  There were many paintings and other pieces of art that she would have loved to look at further, but they moved too fast for more than a cursory glance.

There were so many rooms, and none had windows now that they were deeper in the castle.  It was like a maze and Leigh was soon as good as lost.  She only knew they were steadily heading up.  She assumed they were headed back to the place where he found her.

She had let her extra senses relax as she was looking around, but as something brushed against her notice she was suddenly brought back to attention.  Whatever it was had passed like a feather over her consciousness and was gone again so she strained to see if she could expand her awareness.

It wasn’t long before she realized there was one other person in the building with them and they were steadily headed toward them.  Whoever was waiting for them was only emitting anticipation.  As she realized this, she realized they _were_ waiting.  She didn’t wait any longer to tell D.  “D, I can’t tell how far they are but there is someone ahead of us.  They seem to be waiting for… something, anyway.”  She had the distinct feeling they were the ones the unknown person was waiting for, but she couldn’t prove it.  She didn’t want to make assumptions.

D didn’t even pause at her hurried whisper though.  If anything, his steps seemed more determined.  They were in an exceptionally long hall and by all estimations, Leigh figured they were on the third floor finally.  When they reached the end of the hall, D paused outside of the door and looked back at her.  He paused for a moment before finally speaking up.  “Stay out here.”

Leigh could tell that whoever was waiting was on the other side of the door.  She couldn’t tell what kind of person they were, if they even were a person but it seemed D knew, or at least assumed, something.  She wanted to argue but she knew she would only get in his way so gave him a nod that she understood.

Leigh held her breath as D opened the door and although he tried to block her view into the room he couldn’t completely block the view of the glowing red eyes in the center of the room waiting.


	10. Chapter 10

## Chapter 10

Leigh jumped when a smooth baritone broke the silence.  She almost thought it was D speaking, but she realized the voice was a tad deeper as well as the words didn’t make sense.  “I came here to retrieve something that was supposed to be delivered to me but look what I have found instead.”

She hadn’t even seen D move to intercept the unknown man but suddenly the room was filled with a horrible aura as D’s sword slashed through the space the man had just been occupying.

Leigh grabbed the door frame to keep from falling over.  The aura was oppressive but more than that, her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest as she watched the blindingly fast movements of the two men in the room.

The tiny lamp she had in her hand barely served to light the room, but she might as well have been blind.  She only caught sight of the two when they paused long enough to clash.  The noise was enough to keep her teeth on edge.

She couldn’t tell what kind of weapon the other person held but sparks flew every time the two connected.  As scared as she was she knew she should probably run the other direction, but she couldn’t bring herself to move at all.  She barely managed to keep on her feet.

Whoever the man was, he was easily meeting D at every turn.  If Leigh had not been so scared she would have marveled at the sheer beauty of their acrobatics.  What terrified her even more was the fact that she still felt no fear from the stranger.  Amusement and pleasure were the only things she felt from his direction.

Leigh had no idea how long the two had been going head to head, but the time seemed to stretch.  At some point she finally collapsed to her knees, but it took her several minutes to notice.

It didn’t seem possible but whoever this person was could not only keep up with D, but they seemed to be pushing him back.  They weren’t slowing any, but D was no longer on the offensive.  For every move forward he managed to make, he was then pushed back further.  Leigh watched as the two of them disappeared into the shadows near the far ceiling, only to drop down again on opposite sides of the room and then rush together with a deafening clash.

Leigh could feel herself shaking as her panic started to build.  She had faith in D, but her instincts were screaming at her.  Somehow, she managed to push her fear down and forced herself to think instead.

She kept an eye on the action, but she glanced around the room and behind her as well, trying to think of something she could do.  She knew she couldn’t fight but if there was anything she could do to help give D an edge, she would do it.

Nothing was jumping out at her, but she wasn’t ready to give up yet.  She finally remembered that she was armed.  Given the fact that D’s opponent was obviously a vampire, Leigh was certain that her little laser gun wouldn’t do much good, but she eased it out anyway.  If she had the opportunity to even slow the fiend down, she would take it.

She slowly managed to get to her feet and started to back away from the entrance.  She had to find something, even if that meant backtracking.  Unfortunately, her movement caught the attention of the stranger.  To Leigh’s utter horrification he managed to throw D back and lunge in her direction. 

It felt like time stopped momentarily as she watched his glowing red eyes close in on her.  She didn’t even consciously remember raising her gun and pulling the trigger, but the bright flash seemed to break the spell on the room.  The man stopped feet in front of her and gave her a smile that caused her blood to run cold.

She could see where her shot had connected.  The hole in his chest was already closing though.  The thing that frightened her the most was his face.  Now that she could see him clearly, she almost panicked that she had accidentally shot D until she realized the minor differences.  This man’s face was a little wider and slightly older looking, but there was no way they couldn’t be related.  They looked almost identical.

She glanced down to his chest and panicked again when the fist sized hole she had made was already completely closed.  The next few seconds were a blur to her though.  Although she had obviously done no real damage to the man… vampire, it caused him to pause long enough for D to catch up.  He had also been distracted enough to allow D to almost gain a hit.

The stranger’s focus had been on Leigh.  Not something she had been particularly happy with since it was made even more creepy by his lack of animosity.  He did give her a predatory look, but he never lost his smirk.

His eyes held hers fast, like a predator mesmerizing prey, and was only broken by the sight of D’s sword.  Somehow, without breaking his stare, this strange man still managed to grab D’s sword in his hand before it connected with his neck.

Leigh watched in horror as blood dripped from his hand and a small trickle ran down his neck but his smile at her only widened.  The trance she was in was finally broken when the stranger leapt up and away from them, disappearing into the shadows.  His parting words ringing through the room.  “I will collect what is mine!”

Leigh watched for several heartbeats more, but he didn’t return.  As the adrenaline spike started to leave her body she finally collapsed to the floor.  She wanted to cry and scream from the terror she just experienced but managed to hold it in.

As she finally noticed D standing beside her, with what could only be described as a look of disgust, she was brought back to the present.  D had yet to look her direction, so she knew the look was not for her, but it still sent chills down her back.  She could only guess as to who the stranger had been and didn’t really like the ideas she was coming up with.

She was however pleased to find the stranger’s feelings were nowhere near as far as she could tell.  She only hoped he wasn’t able to completely block it.  The thought sending another shiver down her back.

After what seemed like several minutes she finally calmed enough to try to stand.  Her movement instantly brought D’s attention back to her.  His face was once more his normal, unreadable mask but he was helping her none the less.

Leigh had so many things going through her mind.  She wasn’t sure if now was the time or place to get them out, but she was getting to the point she felt that she might explode if something wasn’t said.  “Uh, D, do you have any idea who that was or what that was about?  It really didn’t seem random.”

D still had a hand on her arm, keeping her steady while she walked, and she could feel his burning rage.  She was trying to block it out, but it was still too overpowering.  At her question she only felt it spike and she instantly wished she had kept her mouth shut.

With his state of mind, she wasn’t expecting any response at all so when his voice pierced the silence, low and quiet, she couldn’t help but jump.  “We will talk later.”

He glanced at her sudden movement.  Luckily, he must not have thought too much of it though as he quickly looked away again.  The silence continued to reign for the remainder of their walk out, which seemed to take longer than it had going in.  Leigh was thankful though, that after she spoke D finally started to get his emotions under control again.

By the time they made it back to daylight she could no longer feel anything through her mental shields and barely managed to hold in her sigh of relief.  An angry D was terrifying, even if it wasn’t her that he was mad at.

Once they were back in the daylight he finally released her arm.  She was still a little shaky but not so much that she needed the extra support and she assumed that now that they were under the sun, she was at least a little safer from their previous enemy.  Thinking about it again made her skin crawl all over again.

Neither of them said a word as they got back to the horse and started down the road.  Leigh was hardly paying attention but did finally notice they were headed further past the creepy castle in a direction she had yet seen.  She vaguely noticed the forest thinning out to more resemble the forest she first traveled through.  They did not stay on the trail this time either.

Leigh had no idea how long they had been traveling, it could have been hours or most of the day.  Her thoughts replaying the scenes from earlier repeatedly and liking the conclusions she was coming to less and less each time.

She was finally drawn from her reverie by the sudden stopping of the horse.  As she looked up and around she found they were at the edge of what looked to be a large, empty clearing.  Without saying anything, D dismounted and walked toward the center of the clearing.  When Leigh moved to dismount as well, he only looked back and gave her a look that let her know to keep still.

She felt a little miffed but knew he was only trying to keep her safe so kept it to herself.  Instead she watched him as he slowly walked toward the center of the clearing.  Before he even made it a quarter of the way to the center, he stopped and raised his hand.  It almost looked as if he placed his hand on something, but Leigh could see nothing there.

She narrowed her eyes as a dim blue light started to shine under his hand, like it had with the door of the castle.  The moments stretched out with nothing happening until finally Leigh gasped at the sight in front of her.

The clearing was no longer empty.  Instead, there was a perfectly square… something.  It was the size of a small building but there was nothing marring the surface.  She could see two of the sides from where she sat and as far as she could tell, there was no entrance or windows.  That didn’t mean there wasn’t such on one of the other sides but given the way this looked and how it was hidden, Leigh was starting to get an idea of what it was.  Her biggest question now, was why would D be bringing her to a vampire safe house?

She continued to watch D with this question in mind until finally cracks started to appear on one of the walls.  They coalesced into a doorframe and the door silently swung inward opening the safehouse to the two people standing outside.

Once it was open D turned and gestured for Leigh to come over.  Once he had the reins in hand he led the horse, with Leigh still astride, into the safehouse.  The door shut behind them, presumably making it look like an empty clearing once again.

As the door shut the interior light came to life.  Leigh couldn’t tell where they were coming from but the whole interior was lit in a soft glow.  She finally dismounted and took a look around.  The space wasn’t too large but more than large enough for them and the horse to be comfortable.

D had tied the reins near the door and they both walked to the back of the large open room.  There were several comfortable looking chairs and couches along with two coffins in the very back.  Leigh had to repress a shudder and instantly looked away from them.  It wasn’t unexpected but still not something she wanted to see.

With a sigh she finally sat on one of the couches and decided it didn’t matter what else was in there as long as it wasn’t living, or undead as the case may be.  Once she was seated she glanced over at D who had been watching her walk around.

Once she caught his eye he stared at her pointedly for a moment before finally breaking the silence.  “No questions?”

Leigh couldn’t hold in her laughter.  After everything else today, it felt so mundane to worry about where she was going to sleep.  She knew he wouldn’t endanger her and it almost made her a little bit giddy as she finally relaxed enough to realize she was alright for now.  She hadn’t realized how tense she had been since their encounter that morning.

She could tell her laughter confused him even though he tried to keep his calm mask on.  She managed to get herself under control quickly, so she could at least try to explain.  “I did wonder why you would have us stay in a vampire safehouse of all places, but I’m not going to question your judgement.  As long as those coffins over there are empty, and I’m sure you made sure they were, then I’m all good.”

This time D could not hide his surprise.  He had not expected her to know where they were to begin with, and he had expected her to be much more nervous once she found out.  The fact that neither was the case only served to deepen the mystery around this strange woman.

He managed to get himself under control quickly but there was still so much roiling just under the surface.  He had vowed to himself to not isolate her as, he knew how that felt, but he knew he could not let her touch him right now.

It really didn’t matter though as he had more questions now than he did before they entered that accursed building.  Trying to figure out those answers needed to be his top priority.  With that thought foremost, and a long lifetime of experience, he pushed all extraneous thought and emotion out of his mind and once again focused on the task at hand.

Leigh could tell her response surprised him but didn’t want to push it.  It only took him a couple of seconds to get back to his normal self but the look he shot her let her know that he needed answers, and yesterday would have been a good time to have given them.

Swallowing another sigh, Leigh sat up straight and gave him a slight nod to let him know she understood.  He took a seat in a nearby chair and Leigh started as soon as he faced her again.  “Look, I could tell what this place was as soon as it started to become visible.  You have to remember that, although I have never dealt with vampires personally, I have read a _lot_ of stories.  I know that can’t prepare me for dealing with them, obviously, as this morning proved, but it does give me a heads up about certain things like this.”

D gave her a calculating look after her little speech.  “How much do you know about vampires exactly?”

This question caught Leigh by surprise, especially since it was rather open ended.  “Well, that’s… um, what part should I start with?”

At her confusion D thought again.  He finally spoke up giving her a more specific direction.  “What else do you know about their lifestyles, and more importantly, do you remember any weaknesses.”

Leigh was a little confused at first by his choice of wording but when she realized what he meant she couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes a little.  “You do realize that since I am from the distant past, there has been no psychological tampering, right?  If I don’t know something it’s because I’m human and sometimes we are inherently faulty, or I never knew it to begin with.  Although, when it comes to the Vampire Hunter D books, I’ve read them so many times I remember most of them.”

Leigh hadn’t really thought about what she said until she looked at D once again.  The look on his face was almost unreadable but she had been studying him enough to know he was slightly uncomfortable.  She gave herself a mental kick for reminding him once again that her knowledge came from reading all about his life.  She could only imagine how that felt.  It had to be as bad, if not worse, than someone telling you they could tell what you were feeling.

“Look, I’m sorry.  I promise to keep it professional.  I’ve managed so far, right?  She spoke quietly with her head down, but she knew he would hear her.  She felt like shit for sticking her foot in her mouth and only hoped he would accept her apology.

“I understand these are extraordinary circumstances.  It would be best if we move on.”  She finally looked up at his response to see him looking directly at her with his normal mask on.  She felt relieved that he was willing to overlook it and couldn’t help the blush that covered her cheeks at that feeling. 

She was surprised when she realized that she was actually beginning to like the cold man in front of her.  Despite his uncaring exterior, he had shown her he was a decent person and she was relieved she hadn’t completely alienated him, at least she hoped she hadn’t.  Sometimes it was hard to tell by his face alone.  At that thought she sent him a smile, trying to convey her wish to stay cordial, and pushed on.

“Ok, well, let’s start with lifestyle.  From what I remember, that is in serious decline.  The nobility is being hunted to extinction and is barely managing to hold out in remote areas of the frontier.  They still have access to places like this though since this technology is so far advanced of anything humanity has or did ever come up with.  These remnants are allowing them to just barely hold on.”  As she finished D nodded and gestured for her to continue.

“As for weaknesses, there aren’t many that I can think of.  Obviously, a stake through the heart, decapitation, and fire, but that is only after one of the first two.  Regular burns wouldn’t kill a vampire.  Garlic, holy water and crosses weaken them but that is all I can think of.”  At the last three things Leigh mentioned, D finally showed what could only be described as excitement.

“You understand and remember what a cross is and why it is detrimental, as well as remembering garlic?”  Leigh gave him another look with her eyebrow cocked but only nodded in response.

“Look, I may not be Christian, but I understand the significance, weird as that may be.  Besides, from what I understand, vampires were around way before my time, they stayed in hiding for a few millennia.”  D only nodded at her response again.  He was already lost in thought.

“This will make things easier.  We can arm you with a few other means for you to help yourself.”  Leigh had an idea where he was going with this line of thought and was all for it.  Her only concern was going to be if she could manage to keep her head long enough to use them.  Fear tended to make you stupid and she could readily admit that she was terrified that morning.

“That is a topic for another time though.  It is pointless here as we do not have the items at hand.  We will discuss this further as we move on.”  D paused and looked away from her for a moment.  When he looked back again she could see the echo of his anger from that morning rolling in his eyes.  She knew what was coming next and was only surprised it had taken this long to get to it.

“It seems as though we have confirmed the connection I suspected.  We, or at least you, were expected.  Is there anything you might have left out of your story?  The tiniest detail could be significant.” 

Leigh wanted to look away.  She was afraid he was going to say that and given what her suspicions were on who they ran into she was not thrilled to say the least.  “I told you everything I can remember.  The woman that sold me this pendant… um…wait… now that I think about it she was really insistent that I take it too.  I tried to give it back to her and she wouldn’t even touch it again.  The only time she touched it after I did was to put it on me.”

At that D’s eyes narrowed slightly.  “The strange woman put the pendant on you, you didn’t put it on yourself?”

At his pointed question Leigh nodded.  “Yeah, I didn’t really think anything about it at the time though.”  Leigh once again pulled the pendant out to look at it as they spoke.  She couldn’t help but jump though when she was surprised by D’s presence right in front of her.

Without a word he reached out to take the pendant from her hand.  She dropped it on instinct, thinking that D would scoop it up but before his hand could make contact a bright flash was emitted from the pendant and he dropped his hand.  “I have tried to touch this before and I cannot.  Have you tried to remove it?”

Leigh realized with a start that she had never once thought of taking it off.  She vaguely remembered thinking it was weird that she hadn’t removed it for her shower before she was transported but looking back, it almost seemed like, unless it was pointed out to her, she forgot she even had it on.  With that realization came a touch of hysteria.  This was obviously not something normal.  She reached back to find the clasp and see if she could get it undone and her eyes widened when she couldn’t find it.

She could feel D’s gaze on her face and took a deep breath to calm herself.  Once again, she reached back and ran her fingers over the entire length of the chain only to find that it was unblemished.  There was no clasp.  The thought made no sense as she remembered the strange woman clasping it on her neck.

The panic was starting to set in a little bit more as she tried to pull it off over her head.  The pendant hung down almost between her breasts, so the chain should be more than long enough to go over her head even without a clasp.

She continued to pull but made no progress other than pulling her hair to the point it brought tears.  Finally, she roughly grabbed the pendant and started to pull down.  If she couldn’t get it off, then she would break the chain.

She could feel herself starting to weep in earnest even though she was trying to hold it in.  She knew she could not get the cursed thing off, but she couldn’t give up.  She felt a stinging in her palm and somewhere in the back of her mind she knew the pendant was cutting into skin but only put the other hand over it and pulled even harder.

She was completely lost to her objective until she heard a low growl from somewhere above her.  Her head snapped up and her confusion cleared instantly as she stared into the blood red eyes of her companion.


	11. Chapter 11

## Chapter 11

The two red orbs above only had Leigh frozen for a moment.  As soon as realization caught up with her she was scrambling to move back, even from her seated position.  She never made it to her feet however, at least not on her own.

She realized her adrenaline must have kicked in and had all her senses on high speed and her mind was still playing catch up.  Before she even realized the extent of her danger she found herself pinned to the wall next to where she had been sitting with her hands clasped above her head.

Finally realizing the danger she was in, she felt her heart trying to beat out of her chest.  She somehow managed to look up into D’s face, but his eyes were closed.  She wasn’t sure if that made this better or not.  It was at that point she felt something sliding down her palm and wrist and realized she must have cut herself worse than she thought.

Since she was still standing and had not been attacked yet, she surmised that D must be trying to fight his nature; a fact she was grateful for.  If she could only be sure he would win out she would feel a whole lot better.

Time stretched and neither moved.  She couldn’t have moved if she wanted to, but D was as still as stone, still holding her against the wall.  Finally, she braved opening her mouth to speak.  Her throat was so dry she barely managed to make a noise.  “D?”

As low as it was she knew it would reach the dhampir holding her.  She saw him flinch when she spoke, and his eyes finally opened to fall on her face.  She could feel herself trembling under his raptor’s gaze.  The fact that his eyes had not cleared did not help to calm her any.

Her breath caught in her throat when he leaned closer to her and closed the little distance there had been between them.  She wanted to scream but couldn’t force it out.  She closed her eyes expecting the worst.  Her thoughts a jumbled mess, wondering how her life had gotten to this point exactly.

Her thoughts were pulled to a screeching halt however, when the expected pain didn’t come.  Instead she felt something warm on her wrist.  Her confusion only deepened when D stood there motionless for another moment before suddenly dropping her hands.

She didn’t have time to even process this change in circumstances before D was back at the entrance to the safe house.  He didn’t even turn to look at her or utter a single word before he was gone, and the door shut behind him.

Leigh dropped where she stood.  Her entire day seemed to have been one terrifying incident after another.  Her body could barely handle the rush and ebb of adrenaline she had gone through.

Absently she looked down at her hands to see the one that she had been holding the pendant in had several puncture type wounds.  She must have been holding it much tighter than she realized to do that much damage.  It was still bleeding, and she vaguely realized she needed to clean it up and bandage it.  Her eyes followed the trail of blood down her hand to her wrists where it was smeared.  She could see red marks where D had been holding her wrists where the smearing started.

Somehow, she managed to make herself move.  Her body didn’t seem to want to move from her spot on the floor, but she knew she couldn’t sit there.  Once she was on her feet she went into autopilot.  Her mind felt slightly disconnected and she was happy to not think about what had just happened at all.

She found herself going through the saddle bags.  It didn’t take long to locate the first aid supplies.  It was only a little awkward since she was trying to do it one handed.  She instinctually knew to keep her blood from getting on anything else.

There wasn’t a lot of extra water and if this safe house had any, she didn’t have the first clue where to look, so she cleaned it up the best she could.  She wrapped her hand once it was as clean as she could get it, using her teeth to help tie it off.  Having done it one handed made it less than smooth but at least it was covered.

She didn’t have any way to dispose of the rag she had used to clean up with and somehow knew it wouldn’t have mattered much anyway.  Until she was out of this enclosed space, it was likely to smell like blood to anyone that had a sensitive nose.

That thought skirted around the edges of those things she was trying hard not to think about.  The situation was already trying to crowd out her calm so Leigh wadded the rag up in an extra shirt and dropped it near the couch.  She knew it wouldn’t do much good, but she wasn’t thinking about it right now.

Once she was finished she laid down on the longest couch.  Now that she was still and didn’t have something to focus on, worries about her companion finally started to sink in.  As scared as she had been, she realized he had still managed to salvage enough presence of mind to not bite her.

She could only imagine his current state of mind.  Even if everything else was a story, somehow, she knew his disdain for the nobility was not.  The fact that he shared part of their nature could not sit well with him.  After the incident tonight, she was worried about whether he would beat himself up over it. 

With a sigh she turned on her side and curled up.  She held her injured hand closer to her chest and couldn’t help but berate herself.  If he was out there, alone, and miserable, she knew that at least for this night the fault was her own.  There was no telling how long he had been dealing with his nature, but she should have been more aware of her actions.  This whole thing could have been prevented if she had paid attention. 

With another sigh, she closed her eyes to try and find sleep.  The last thoughts she had were that of her companion, hoping she would have the opportunity to apologize.

* * *

 

Leigh had no idea how long she had been asleep, but she was awoken by a bright light.  She blinked a couple of times to clear her head of the last of the vague dreams she had been having and looked toward the light to see the door to the safe house standing wide open.

She sat up and found her companion standing in the doorway leading the horse outside.  The memories of the previous night flooding her mind caused Leigh to jump up and practically run toward the exit.  She stopped before reaching D though.  He was still leading the horse and had almost made the edge of the clearing.  For a half second, she panicked, wondering if he planned to continue without her.

Her fears were laid to rest before they could even become fully formed, when he stopped under the edge of the trees and finally turned back towards her.  She couldn’t read his face very well from this distance, but she could tell he wasn’t really looking at her when he finally spoke.  “If you are up we need to move.”

Leigh wanted to cry at the coldness in his words.  She wasn’t sure why it affected her so badly, but she instinctively knew it was there to put a distance between them.  She hadn’t had a chance to move at all before he turned his head to look at her finally.  “Make sure nothing is left behind.”  With those instructions, he turned away from her once more to prepare to leave.

As she turned to get her things she was torn between wanting to curse and kick herself for being such an oblivious idiot and wanting to sit down and bawl.  She did neither, but her shoulders were slumped as she gathered what supplies she had gotten out the previous night and put her cloak back on. 

Lastly, she eyed the shirt bundled up next to the couch she had been sleeping on.  He had said not to leave anything, and she assumed that included the bundled parcel as well.  She couldn’t hold in the sigh as she picked it up, only hoping the shirt it was in would help hide the scent some.  With a last look around to make sure nothing else was forgotten she walked to join D.

When she reached the horse she quickly packed everything in the saddle bags and moved to get in the saddle out of habit.  She hadn’t looked at D while she was getting everything packed and settled but quirked a brow at him when he didn’t follow her up.

She mentally kicked herself again when he only gave her the briefest of glances to make sure she was settled before grabbing the reins and leading the horse forward.  His glance had been devoid of all emotions which only served to make her feel even worse as he walked a step ahead of the horse.

The morning passed in complete silence.  Leigh was running the last twenty-four hours through her head and could only wonder if D was doing the same.  She had no idea where they were going now, since they didn’t have the chance to talk about it the previous night and was finding it hard to care.

She knew she needed to apologize, but the longer the silence stretched the harder it was for her to find the courage to speak up.  As midday approached she knew she couldn’t let this go on any longer.  Her voice squeaked at first, so she had to clear her throat and start again.  “D, I… I would like to apologize for my actions last night.”

D suddenly stopped.  He stood completely still for a few moments and Leigh began to worry that she might have made it worse.  Finally, he turned to look at her and she could still see the surprise in his eyes, even if the rest of his face was still a blank mask.  “Why would you feel the need to apologize?  What do you have to apologize for?  It was my…”

Leigh interrupted him before he could continue.  “No.  If I had paid more attention to what I was doing, then nothing would have happened in the first place.  I was careless and I’m sorry.”  She stared straight at him as she apologized.  She wanted to make sure he could see her sincerity.  She felt bad enough as it was.

She watched his eyes, but they only shifted to sadness.  She didn’t know how she could get through to him.  He didn’t want to argue the point and it didn’t seem as if he was going to accept her apology either.  He turned and continued walking.

She sighed again, probably for the hundredth time that day, and watched his back.  The silence stretched again but she had no ideas how to bridge the chasm that was between them now.

Midday had passed some time ago and neither of the traveling companions had noticed.  Both were caught up in thoughts of their own.  Leigh vaguely realized that she should probably eat something but didn’t have the appetite anyway.

She was brought out of her glum thoughts as they neared a river.  This one could have been the same one they previously passed, but Leigh couldn’t tell.  She hadn’t really been paying attention to their direction anyway.

She was mildly surprised when D stopped next to the river though.  His words surprising her even more.  “You can clean up here.  When you are done, call out and I will bandage your hand again.”  His eyes flicked to the bandage on her hand and the edges tightened almost imperceptibly.  “I know it isn’t easy to do one handed.”

He didn’t even wait for her to dismount before he disappeared into the trees.  Leigh couldn’t help but shake her head.  In her brain she understood the circumstances that caused their current breach, but she still had to wonder how it had come to this.

She hadn’t realized how much closer she was getting to the vampire hunter until the distance between them widened once again.  She knew they were a far cry from what most would consider close friends, but she was warming up to him and thought he was doing the same.  As it stood now, the distance between them was farther than it had been when they first met.

She didn’t know what she was going to do about the situation but for the moment the priority was getting through the day.  They would have to stop at some point, if only to decide what to do next and she only hoped she could convince him she didn’t hold him accountable at all.  She felt terrible as she dismounted and went through the saddlebags to grab her things.  As an afterthought she also grabbed the shirt that held the bloody rag she had cleaned up with.

The river was waist deep and had a shallow, rocky incline to the middle.  She slowly made her way out into the water, trying not to slip on the river stones.  Once she was in the middle she made quick work of cleaning up, including the shirt and rag.

Once she was finished and dried as best as she could be she finger combed her curls and put them back in a loose braid.  It meant her hair would still be damp when she took it down, but it would be out of the way.

She scanned the tree line for any sign of her companion.  She hoped she might be able to see what he was doing while he waited but she couldn’t see him at all.  She knew he wasn’t far though.  Finally, she called out to let him know she was finished and watched as he seemed to materialize from the shadows.

He went to the horse before returning to her side to get the first aid supplies.  He stopped a short distance away and Leigh wondered how he expected to rewrap her hand from there.  Finally, she was the one that moved. 

She turned her palm over, so he could see the scabs that were already forming and held her hand out to him.  He looked down and it seemed as if his brow furrowed for a moment before he lightly grabbed it.  His fingers moved swiftly to apply a salve and wrap the wounds again.  Once he was finished, Leigh flexed her hand lightly and had to admit that his work was much better than hers had been the previous night. 

“Thank you, it was kind of hard to do that with just one hand.”  She made sure he understood her appreciation before he turned again.

He put the supplies back without a word and Leigh had to bite her tongue to keep from saying anything else.  She didn’t want to make him angry when he was already so distant.  She was surprised when he turned back though.  “You’re welcome.”

It wasn’t much but she was glad he didn’t ignore her completely.  He grabbed the reins of the horse afterwards and gave her a brief look.  She understood that he meant for her to remount, so they could be moving.  Once she was back in the saddle they started moving once again. 

It was over an hour before they came to a spot that was shallow enough for them to cross.  D waded through the water leading the horse despite Leigh’s protests.  She would have walked and let him ride at that point, but he didn’t give her the chance to argue.

By the time dusk started to set in they were surrounded by forests that were starting to get thicker.  D had walked all day long, so their pace had been slower than normal.  Leigh had no idea what the plan was, but she didn’t see that there was shelter anywhere near.

Half afraid that he planned to push himself all night again she finally called out.  “Are we stopping somewhere tonight?”

He didn’t stop but he turned to give her a look over his shoulder.  “We will be traveling through the night.”

She couldn’t hold in her sigh of frustration at his response.  She doubted he had slept when he was outside the previous night and she knew he hadn’t slept the night before that.  The previous two nights were spent in a town, but she seriously doubted his rest had been restful.  “When was the last time you slept, or at least rested really well?  You can’t tell me that you can go on indefinitely.  I know you may be amazing, but you aren’t indestructible!”

Her voice had gone up an octave as she spoke, and she had to fight to keep from yelling.  He was going to push himself to exhaustion and that wasn’t going to do anyone any good.

He finally stopped to look at her, but his words held no room for negotiation.  “These woods are dangerous.  We cannot stop here tonight.”

When he turned to keep walking she finally snapped.  She reached for the reins to grab them from his hand.  For a moment she thought she had succeeded but his surprise only lasted a split second.  His hands tightened on the reins once again.  This did cause him to turn back to her once more.

Before he could open his mouth to speak she started.  “Fine, I understand that we can’t stop but please quit pushing so hard.  If you don’t want to stop then at least ride.  You’ve been walking all day.  If it is that bad I can walk for a while…please?”

He didn’t move for a few seconds and she didn’t give him the chance to pull on the reins again.  She took advantage of his momentary stillness and jumped out of the saddle.  She turned to face him with her hands on her hips.  He was the epitome of intimidation, but she couldn’t let him keep this up.  “I will not hold us up again if you will please just ride.”

It was dark enough now that she couldn’t see his eyes very well but when he finally moved, it was to loop the reins back around the horse’s neck.  “Get back in the saddle.”  His command was terse, but she did as he asked.  She knew he could pull the reins back around, but she doubted he would be like that.

Once she was seated he followed her up.  She could tell that he was still sitting stiffly away from her but at least he was seated.  She knew this was only marginally better but if nothing else, they would make better time.  She knew he was thinking the same thing when he kicked the horse into a gallop.


	12. Chapter 12

## Chapter 12

Leigh had watched the dawn arrive some time back but still refused to close her eyes and give in to the exhaustion that was trying to overwhelm her.  She had managed to stay up the entire night.  It hadn’t been nearly as difficult to maintain as the last time they rode through the night.

D had still not initiated any conversation and, while he had not started walking again, he still made sure to maintain as much distance between them as the saddle would allow.  Leigh was still feeling the guilt from the happenings of the previous night which completely eliminated any possibility of being able to relax under the current circumstances.

With her focus so completely on staying awake and not encroaching on D’s personal space, Leigh had failed to realize they were approaching a large building in the distance.  When it finally drew her attention, she was surprised to see that, although it was large, it was nothing but ruins.

D lead the horse through or around several large piles of rubble before he finally dismounted and grabbed the reins again.  Leigh started to object once more but realized it was more for the horses footing than to get away from her.

Finally, it seemed that he found what he had been searching for.  He tied the horse up and started walking toward a part of the structure that was still partially intact.  There seemed to be two walls still standing and a third that had fallen over to rest on its parallel partner.  What would have been the forth wall was another pile of rubble.  Leigh watched for a moment while her companion climbed it.

Even though he had not said anything, it seemed to Leigh as if this was to be their next shelter.  She dismounted to follow him but as soon as she was out of the saddle she found she was not able to keep her feet.  Her vision darkened and before she could steady herself, she had collapsed.  Belatedly she realized she had not eaten anything in over a day and between that, and a lack of sleep, she was not in the best of shape.

When her vision cleared she looked around to make sure D had not seen her.  The last thing she wanted was to worry him anymore.  He was nowhere that she could see so she felt a little better.  She climbed to her feet and managed to stay standing this time.  She was still a little shaky but that was better than falling over again.

Once she was sure her feet would stay under her she headed towards the missing wall to follow her companion.  She had only started to climb up the pile of rubble blocking the entrance when D appeared again.  He gave her a look that seemed to ask what she thought she was doing but he didn’t say anything about her following him.  Once he was beside her he finally spoke up.  “There is an enclosed room that is still intact.  In the back of this area is a set of stairs going down.  I will meet you there momentarily.”

Leigh gave him a nod.  She managed to make it over the broken wall and into the interior.  Once inside she had to give it a moment for her eyes to adjust before she found the stairs D had mentioned.  She headed towards them as soon as she saw where they were, but she hadn’t made it to them before D caught back up to her.  He had their saddlebags in hand, a fact that made Leigh feel bad for not thinking of them.

No more words were exchanged as she followed him down into the tiny room.  It looked like it might have once been a storage area.  It was relatively clear, a fact that seemed to be a miracle given the general state of the rest of the building.  Leigh knew D didn’t need it but as soon as they hit the bottom of the stairs she brought out the little lantern that D had previously given her.

She set it by the stairs and helped D get their makeshift camp set up.  It was still only midday, but she was not going to complain about an early rest.  She did wonder about it once they were set up and she sat down on her bedroll.  She decided that she needed to find out what the current plan was more than she wanted to keep her silence.  “Will we be resting here long?”

D didn’t bother to look at her over what he was working on, but he did answer right away.  “We will stay here at least until tomorrow.”  Leigh gave him a nod.

By this point her exhaustion was catching up to her and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.  She had almost decided to lay down immediately and worry about everything else later when D reached out to hand her something.  She had to blink a couple of times before she realized he was trying to give her rations and water.  She blushed as she realized how long she had been sitting there staring at him blankly.

She muttered her thanks as she took the capsules and was grateful that it was something she could take care of quickly.  She wasted no time in swallowing them down with the water she had.  Once that was done she knew she couldn’t stay up any longer.  She laid back on her bedroll, her last thoughts were a hope that D would be able to rest as well.

* * *

 

When Leigh awoke again she wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep.  Since they were underground she had no way of telling without leaving their shelter.  She looked around and found D leaning up against the far wall with his hat pulled down over his eyes.  She was filled with a sense of melancholy as she watched him resting, at least she hoped he was resting.

She remembered the events of the last day or so and hoped she could find a way to get him to talk to her again.  With that thought and a groan she got to her feet and walked around the little room once before heading to the stairs.  She wouldn’t climb them, but she hoped she might be able to see if there was still any light.  When she looked up though, there was no light to be seen.  She figured that meant it was night again.  She didn’t want to take the chance of running into something, just so she could satisfy her curiosity, so she turned her back on the stairs and went back to her bedroll.

She finally felt better than she had in a couple of days.  She wasn’t really tired either since she had slept through the entire afternoon.  With D presumably resting she decided to take some time to meditate.

Things had been so hectic since she woke up in this strange world and she hoped meditating would provide some balance, or at least give her a chance to clear her mind.  She found she could usually face issues better after she took the time to center herself.

With that decided, she sat back onto her bedroll and made herself comfortable.  She started by focusing on her breathing, in through her nose for a slow count of four and out through her mouth for six.  Once she felt herself start to relax a little she moved to the next step.

With each breath she pictured in her mind that her indrawn breath brought in a soft white light and her breath out expelled darkness from all corners of her body.  Once the light she pictured was bright enough she focused on covering her body with the light, starting at her head, and finishing with her toes.

As she finished picturing herself covered with the bright light she took one more breath and finally opened her eyes.  She was surprised to see D staring at her intently.  She was even more surprised when he spoke.  “That is an impressive barrier.  You didn’t tell me you were also capable of something like that.”

Leigh had no idea what he was talking about.  “What barrier?  I was only meditating.”

His eyes narrowed slightly at her response.  “You didn’t cover your body in a barrier just now?”  She couldn’t tell if that was a tone of disbelief or wariness as he spoke.

“I… well… part of my meditation includes picturing myself covered in light but… that’s something I use to clear my mind.”  She was having a challenging time convincing herself that the effects of her meditation were visible, especially since she could not, and never had been able to, see them herself.  As far as she was concerned it was just a mind exercise.

“Are you saying you cannot see the barrier you created yourself?”  It was definitely disbelief in his voice now.  She had no idea how he could see what he claimed to but the more she thought about it, she realized it didn’t surprise her that much.  He was perceptive to begin with and she had no idea what all he could or could not do.  It made even more sense as she thought about the aura he sometimes released.

“Well, no, I have never been able to see it with my regular vision.  I can picture it in my mind just fine but… honestly, I never thought more of it than the fact that I always feel better afterwards.  I use the exercise as a means to clear my mind and center myself.  That probably makes no sense to you but… let’s just leave it at I feel better.”  She knew her explanation was probably not what he wanted to hear but she didn’t know what else to tell him.

“So, you’ve worked out how to do this without any training.”  He didn’t seem to be talking to Leigh this time; his words were low, and he was no longer focused on her.  After he deliberated for a few moments he finally turned his attention back to her.  “How did you come to learn this ‘meditation’ and what other things can you do?”

Leigh was surprised by his curiosity but didn’t have the slightest idea how to answer him, at least not the second part of his question.  “I read a few books that describe meditation and adjusted them to suit myself.  As for what else I can do… well, I didn’t realize this was anything particularly special, so I really don’t know where I could start.”

D’s look was contemplative as he continued to study her.  Before either of them could break the silence, another voice interrupted.  “I might be able to help, that is if you don’t mind me touching you.”

Leigh focused on D’s left hand, where the voice had originated from.  She thought for a moment before responding.  “It’s not like it would be the first time, but how do you think you can help?”

A chuckle emanated from the same location as the voice.  Leigh didn’t hold Left Hand in any less respect than D himself.  She knew he had millennia of experience behind his statements, but she could constantly feel his snarky outlook and it tended to make her use the sharper side of her tongue when addressing him.  This was no exception to that rule, but he seemed to understand and didn’t hold it against her.  “Well, I might be able to see where the source of that power is and figure out why you can’t see it yourself, even though you’re the one wielding it.”

By now, Leigh was totally confused.  Both D and his left hand seemed to think there was more to her than she thought there was.  It wasn’t that she couldn’t believe their assumptions, but she found it hard to believe there was anything special about herself.  “The source of power?  I… um… I’m not sure exactly… what to think of that.  Do you really think I have something like that?”

Neither of the other two answered and Leigh was too preoccupied to notice D walking over to her.  He sat down beside before she took note of it.  His sudden appearance, sudden to her anyway, made her jump.

D ignored her start at his approach and merely held up his left hand.  When she didn’t say anything he finally spoke.  “Do we have your permission?”

“Oh!  Ah, yeah, please go ahead.”  Leigh could feel herself blush.  She felt like an idiot for sitting there staring blankly at D.

D reached out his left hand and placed it on her head.  Nothing seemed to be happening, but Leigh couldn’t help but blush again; this time for a whole different reason.  She could only give thanks to whatever power there was that he couldn’t feel emotions like she could.  She had done pretty good so far about not letting his looks interfere with her actions but something about the way he was touching her now was more intimate than any situation they had been in previously and it had her in knots.

While she sat here trying to get her scattered thoughts back in line Left Hand spoke up once more.  “I can’t see anything beyond your barrier.  Can you let it down, so I can see what’s going on?”

Leigh tilted her head back with a look of surprise on her face.  She couldn’t believe anything like that would keep the carbuncle from being able to see as far down her soul as he wanted to.  D dropped his hand for the moment but not before Leigh was able to see his tiny companion.  The tiny face seemed to have a serious set to it before it disappeared into D’s fist.

“I can try.  I’ve never thought about this before so I… I don’t know… but give me a minute.”  Leigh closed her eyes once more and pictured the light surrounding her body.  She took a few deep breaths to try and calm her confusion and concentrate once more.  After she calmed enough to focus she pictured the light receding from her head.  She left the rest of the barrier intact.

“Good, that should allow him to work now.”  D’s voice startled her, but his hand was back on her head before she even opened her eyes.  This concreted in her mind the fact that he really could see what she had done.

With D sitting so close she found she had a tough time sitting still.  To help alleviate the issue she closed her eyes again.  She wasn’t sure if it would help but she figured it couldn’t hurt if she walked through her meditation process again while Left Hand was delving into her psyche.  She settled for focusing on her breathing and picturing the influx of light.

She was so focused on her breathing that when D finally removed his hand, she had no idea how long they had been sitting there.  She finally opened her eyes and jumped back from D when she saw a soft glow around her own body.  When she lifted her hand to inspect it, she found what looked to be a thin barrier of light that moved with her like a second skin.  She looked back to D with shock.  “Is this what you were seeing?”

To Leigh’s utter surprise D gave her a small smile before answering.  “That would depend on what you see.”

She was a little chagrined at his response but couldn’t hold back her excitement.  “Well, it almost looks like I rubbed glow in the dark paint all over my body, but if I look close it isn’t actually touching my skin.”

D’s brow furrowed, and Left Hand couldn’t hold back his amusement with her analogy.  His gruff voice was the one to break the silence next, laughter evident when he spoke.  “Well, that’s close enough.  You were almost there already.  I’m surprised you couldn’t see it to be honest.  With proper training you have a lot of potential.”

Leigh was flabbergasted.  This was an alternative she had never thought of.  What was she?  How did she have this to tap into when it seemed way too much like magic, something that didn’t exist as far as she was concerned.  “Potential?  What exactly is that supposed to mean?  Are you talking like magic?  That… no… magic isn’t real!?”

She hated the fact that her last statement came out more like a question.  She watched her companion’s face go back to his blank mask and realized how stupid she must have sounded.  If she could accept that vampires, and even werewolves, were real, then why not magic.  It was hard to swallow because she didn’t come from this place.  It would mean there was more to her own time than she had ever thought.

Her inner struggle must have been apparent on her face, as D spoke up quickly.  “If you never had reason to believe in the supernatural, that would be cause enough for your pathways to be blocked.  That doesn’t make it less real though and denying it will only cause you problems.”

She got up to pace at his words.  She knew he was right but the whole thought of her being even more different than she already was made her skin crawl.  She had a hard-enough time fitting in already.  As she paced she looked over at her companion and saw that he was only watching her.  He was probably giving her space to work it out on her own.

At the sight of him her raging thoughts calmed.  She realized this must be a tiny taste of how he felt at some point in his life and the thought clenched her heart in a vice.  She knew he had to have learned to deal with it long ago but knowing he was still treated like he had been back in the village they stopped in made her upset for him.  She knew he was capable of handling it, but it still pissed her off.  She understood better than most that it was unfair.

She also realized there was no point in letting the idea of being different get to her.  She had already learned to deal with a portion of it.  She had to learn what ‘it’ was exactly so she could learn how to deal with it going forward.

She moved to sit back down on her bedroll and gave D a small smile.  “Thank you both for helping me.  I still don’t understand what is going on exactly but if you think I can learn then I’ll try to.  Do you know how I should start?”

She wasn’t sure if D knew how to start her training but between the two of them they had to know something.  “Your potential is outside of what I know directly but I can show you how to start.  You need to focus on finding the source inside yourself on your own first.”

“How can I do that?”  She grimaced as she realized the first task still seemed impossible.

“Finding your source shouldn’t be any more difficult than making your barrier.  You have already been pulling from it unknowingly.  You will need to follow it and look deeper than you ever have before.”  Leigh had hoped that he might have a more direct route and had to force herself to not roll her eyes at his oblique response.

She understood what he was trying to say well enough, or at least she thought she did.  She gave him a nod and closed her eyes to see what she could find.  She felt him leave the spot beside her, presumably to go back to his own bedroll.

Once her breathing was even and deep she tried to focus on how she controlled the light.  She found that there was a tether to the light that lead further down to her core.  She followed the tether to a place she had never before imagined.  There was a bright pulsing light deep inside her and she wondered why she had never noticed it before.  It was soft and pale blue but steady.

Once she found it she followed the tether back to the surface of her mind and finally opened her eyes.  She had to blink a few times to clear the fuzziness from her sight.  Once her vision was clear she looked around to find D resting against the opposite wall like he had been when she awoke.

She couldn’t tell how long she had been inside her own mind, but she realized it must have been a long time.  She tried to stand and stretch but only got to her knees before exhaustion hit her hard.  She immediately decided that going back to sleep was a grand idea, no matter what time it was.  As soon as she laid back down the world slipped away.


	13. Chapter 13

## Chapter 13

The next day, or Leigh assumed it was the next day, she woke up feeling wonderful.  When she stood she found that her steps felt lighter and her worries were less than they had been since this whole escapade had started.  She hadn’t even realized how worried she had been until her load had been lightened.

As she stood, she looked around and found that D was nowhere in the small room they occupied.  She took the time to clean up and put things away.  At this point D was still not back and Leigh felt the need to get out of the cramped, dark room.

She really didn’t think about the fact that it might be a bad idea to wander around alone until she was outside and there was still no sign of D.  The sky was starting to lighten so she felt it was entirely possible for him to be somewhere nearby, and she couldn’t see him.

Shrugging to herself, she assumed he was close and started exploring the ruins.  It looked like it had once been the grounds of an ancient castle, and a rather large one at that.  From the outlines that remained she could see what was left of the castle proper in the distance with what looked like a keep halfway collapsed near the center.

From the looks of it, the room they had spent the night in had been part of the castle grounds, maybe barracks.  In comparison to where the keep stood in the distance, she was still fairly near the outskirts.

The whole place was eerily silent.  She briefly thought about possible danger but there was a peace to the silence.  She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it seemed like the ground she was on kept most things away.  It almost felt like the aura D used but there was no malice, at least not directed at her, just a half-perceived pressure.

She dismissed the strange feeling and headed towards the keep in the distance.  It wasn’t that she didn’t think that D might wonder where she had gone but she felt drawn to the building.

When she finally reached the inner wall, she found that the lower floors of the inner keep still looked intact.  It almost looked as if a giant had used a bat to knock the top half off.

She approached it with care since she had no idea if the area was stable.  When she reached the building, she found that the double doors were still standing, and quite solid.  She tugged on them and was surprised when they opened with relative ease.  The room beyond was large and parts of it disappeared into the shadows above.  The fact that the floors above were intact enough to block all light made her feel a little better about the possibilities of the whole thing falling on her head.

She was now glad that she had thought to grab the lantern when she left their shelter.  She quickly flipped it and illuminated the area around her.  There was relatively little rubble around, most of which looked to be the remains of old furniture and such.  It was easy to tell this place was ancient, which made the discovery of anything left inside a surprise.

She briefly wondered at the placement of such an ancient location in what used to be the southern United States.  She then remembered she was approximately ten millennia separated from everything she knew.  It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility for this to have been built after the fall.

The thought had her a little depressed as she was reminded of her predicament.  She forced the thought aside and walked further into the room.  She found a set of stairs that headed up and another that went deeper.  She decided to try the steps up first. 

She took each step carefully, testing them before adding her weight.  She finally reached the next floor and looked around to only find more of what she had seen downstairs.  The continuation of the stairs up was blocked by fallen debris.

She was disappointed that she hadn’t found anything but shrugged and carefully made her way back down.  She moved toward the steps down, taking them as carefully as she had the stairs up.  These seemed to be in much better shape though.

When she reached the bottom, she was surprised to see another door.  These didn’t open as easily as the outside doors.  She thought they might have been locked but before she could turn to leave, the necklace she was wearing gave off a low light and the door cracked open with a click.

At that, Leigh almost decided to leave anyway.  If this place had anything to do with the nobility, she didn’t want to have anything to do with it.  She made it halfway back up the stairs before a thought occurred to her.  If this place responded to the pendant, then this might be her best chance of finding something out.

She went back down again and stood outside the room for a moment.  The air coming from the previously locked room was stale.  It seemed like it hadn’t been exposed in a long time.  She tried to listen for any noises and finally gave up.  She realized it was doubtful that a vampire or any of their guards would make any sounds her human ears could hear.

She pushed the door open fully and raised the small light.  This room was much larger than she had anticipated and looked to be in pretty good shape.  She walked further into the room and found a strange mix. 

As she waked down the long room she found that on one side of the room was floor to ceiling bookshelves.  The other side of the room had a long bank of monitors interspersed with various empty… somethings.  Some of them definitely looked like cages but there were others that look suspiciously like holding tanks with windows.  She would not have been surprised to see liquid in one with something floating in it.  It reminded her of the mako tanks she had seen in Final Fantasy VII.

She didn’t bother stopping to inspect any of this.  She walked to the end of the room and found one large monitor.  In front of it was an ornate chair.  The entire bank of electronics on the far wall, as well as the chair, were on a raised dais.

She stepped up next to the seat to get a better look.  All of the electronics seemed to be whole.  There was no telling what the insides looked like though.  Time had a way of eroding almost everything.  She started looking around anyway.  She figured it couldn’t hurt to see if there was still a possibility of it being functioning.  If what she knew about the nobility was true, then they built stuff to last.

After half an hour she still had not been able to determine _how_ to turn the machine on, much less if it would work or not.  She realized there was a possibility D was looking for her by now and turned to leave again.  As she walked back by the chair to exit she gave it a once over.  What she found stopped her in her tracks. 

There was a small panel of buttons inlaid into the left arm.  Without thinking she sat down and started to exam them.  To her chagrin she found what was probably the ‘on switch.’  Of course, it had to have been here.  It was apparent that this was the core of whatever was going on here.

She almost fell out of her seat when she worked up enough nerve to try it.  Not only did the monitor behind her light up, but the whole room filled with a soft glow and the other electronics whirred to life.  She was only stunned for a moment though.  Excitement far outweighed her trepidation.

She tried to swivel the chair out of old habit and was pleased when it rounded smoothly to face the screen behind her and the panel below it.  She almost jumped off the chair when it not only swiveled, but once it was facing the screen it moved to sit right in front of the input panel.

Now that the light was brighter, it was much easier for her to examine the panel in front of her.  It looked like some type of keyboard but there were many other buttons and various other inputs across the thing.  She was pleased to find she recognized most of it.  It may not do the same things, but she had a better chance of finding out now.

It also helped that most of the buttons held a language she was familiar with alongside the ones she was clueless on.  She took her time, examining every button in front of her before she tentatively reached out to test a few.  There was no telling what kind of security a noble’s system would have. 

To her surprise, and delight, she found that it instantly responded.  There was no pointer but with little difficulty she was able to get a glimpse of what the room was about.  There was still a lot of information she could glimpse but hadn’t figured out how to access.  She could tell enough to see this whole room was used for experimentation; something she already had a clue about given the rest of the room’s contents.  The only thing she couldn’t see were the details of the research and all of the subjects.

She was slowly figuring out how the system worked and how to access the information.  It wasn’t like anything she had dealt with before, but with her basic knowledge it was enough for her to build on as she experimented. 

As she sifted further into the information she began to wonder if she should forget about what she was trying to find.  Things were increasingly getting more disturbing and she started to feel uneasy.  She wrote it off at first as her hackles being raised because there was no built-in security.  That thought didn’t hold her long as she realized there probably had not been need for it.  If the door had been unlocked by her pendant, then there were probably very specific circumstances for anyone else to get in.  The security was external.

She hadn’t found anything yet that even hinted at her circumstances.  While she kept pushing herself to find answers the feeling of dread continued to grow.  With her being so tense it was no surprise that she jumped and screamed when a voice finally rang out.  “This used to be one of my homes.  It was destroyed a very long time ago now.”

When she jumped out of the chair she found a man’s outline in the far doorway.  She couldn’t see him well from this distance, especially since he was still mostly standing in the shadows outside of the door.  She relaxed though when the voice registered in her head and she caught a glimpse of the hem of a cloak.

With a depreciating chuckle at her own jumpiness she waved to her companion and sat back down to continue what she was working on.  She called back over shoulder to let him know what she was working on.  “It doesn’t surprise me you know.  This whole place has a certain air about it.  Do you remember anything about this room?  I have found some interesting information but it’s slow going pulling the data out.  I’m not sure I really want to know to be honest, but the door was opened by the pendant.  I thought it would be a good place to start looking for answers.”

There was no immediate response to her query, but she was caught up in trying to crack the monster that was giving her so many issues.  Her dread had vanished when she saw her companion nearby.  However, it rushed back at the deep voice right next her, and more so at the words he uttered.  “I see there is much more to you than I had anticipated.  What else are you capable of I wonder?”

Leigh whirled around and found her breath trapped in her throat.  The man standing next to her was not her hunter companion, but the one they had faced just a couple of days ago.  She wanted to scream but her voice wouldn’t come.  She didn’t even have a chance to move before he descended on her and her world went black.

* * *

 

D had come back to their makeshift shelter after checking the area thoroughly.  He had sensed another presence and took the time to investigate.  When he didn’t see any signs of his companion he started to feel a little uneasy.  He couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary though so tamped down on the feeling, so he could search for her.

Once he was out of the building it was easy for him to catch her distinctive scent.  The uneasiness forced its way back to the surface when he found that she had gone in the direction of the castle proper. 

His steps sped up as he followed her scent.  It didn’t help his frame of mind when he started to sense another presence nearby as well.  When he made it to the keep he instantly realized she had gone downstairs.  He knew what this place held, and his concern built into outright worry.

He threw the doors open to find the room lit up.  It only took him a moment for his worst fears to be confirmed.   At the end of the long room was the person he had spent most of his life searching for.  In his arms was the young woman he had sworn to help.

Instantly he was speeding across the room.  Before he could reach them, the man gave him a sad smile, drew his cloak around himself and his burden, and disappeared.

D gnashed his teeth together and tried to sense where he had gone.  When there was no sign of them to be found, he started looking around.  His eyes widened at what was up on the screen.  It didn’t take him long to realize it would not have been the man to pull up this old data.  His missing companion must have been the one digging up the information.  The thought added another layer to her mystery.

D was determined to not give up though.  He knew he would not be able to sense the man he followed but there was still an alternative.  He had tasted the blood of his companion, and while he had not bitten her, he could still use that to find her location if he focused. 

With that thought in mind, the hunter sat down where he stood to concentrate.  It was some time before his eyes finally opened again.  If there had been anyone else in the room they would have been stunned to see the look on D’s face.  There was fury burning in his eyes, but it was outweighed by determination.


	14. Chapter 14

## Chapter 14

When Leigh woke up her head was fuzzy.  She managed to sit up and look around, but the strange surroundings only served to confuse her further.  It was several minutes before her head cleared enough to make sense of her surroundings.  When she realized she was sitting on a cot in a small closed room she instantly jumped up to try the door.  She was unsurprised to find it locked.

The memory of what had happened right before she blacked out was crowding her mind.  She was having difficulties keeping her panic at bay.  The only reason she had not broken down yet was because she was still alone in the room.

She forced herself to not focus on her predicament.  Instead she tried to focus on how she could get out of it.  Another cursory glance around the room showed her that there were no windows, so being able to escape that way was not going to happen.

After looking around the room for anything else she might have missed she sat down on the cot to try and figure out her next moves.  She finally gave herself a once over to make sure she was still untouched and was pleasantly surprised she had not been disarmed.  She knew that her little gun would have very little effect on her captor, but it might serve some purpose.  It made her feel a little better anyway.

She had no sense of how long she had been alone in the room.  She was still trying to figure out an escape, but the constant effort was starting to give her a headache.  She ignored it the best she could.

To try and stave off her panic she got up to search the room one more time.  She hoped she would find something she had missed.  So far, she had still found nothing she could use.  She was concentrating so hard, and her nerves were so tense, that when the door finally creaked opened it caused her to scream.

She recovered quickly but seeing the man that had walked in and closed the door behind himself made her heart rate shoot up even further.  She knew this had been the person to take her; she remembered seeing his face clearly before she blacked out, but that didn’t make it any easier to have it confirmed. 

She was now faced with something out of her nightmares and it took everything she had not to lose her nerve completely and faint dead away from fear.  As it was, the best she could accomplish was managing to keep her knees from buckling.  She couldn’t even manage to push any words past her lips.

The man only stood and watched her for a short while without saying anything.  Finally, Leigh realized that she could clearly read the other person in the room with her and she was floored by what she found.  It was nothing like what she had found the last time she had been confronted with him, so it was hard for her to take in.  The man in front of her held a sadness deeper than anything she had ever felt before.

While her instincts still screamed to run away, there was a small part of her that could only think about making that feeling go away.  She caught herself before that small part of her could act.  She was absolutely positive this person would not appreciate any attempt from her to do so, not to mention she was now suspicious of anything she felt from him.  The difference was too drastic.

Focusing on these thoughts allowed her to calm down enough so she could speak finally.  She was still terrified, but she knew standing here staring wasn’t going to accomplish anything.  “What do you want with me?”

Her voice had barely squeaked out, but she knew he heard her.  He didn’t answer right away, instead moving to one of the chairs by a small table across the room.  She hadn’t taken her eyes off him the whole time, so she didn’t miss it when he gestured for her to take the other one.

The last thing she wanted was to make this person angry, but she was having a challenging time convincing her feet to move her closer.  He exuded danger like a regular person breathed.  She finally won the fight and moved to sit across from him.  She made a point of making sure the table was between them though.

Once she was seated he gave her a polite smile but now that she was able to pay closer attention to him she could tell it never reached his eyes.  The contrast in his polite demeanor and the atmosphere around him was confusing to Leigh, not to mention the fact that what she was feeling from him had not changed at all.

“I sent out an invitation for someone to join me and since you are wearing the pendant I sent with it, I assumed you had accepted my invite.”  His statement confirmed one thing Leigh had thought but it added even more questions.

“This is yours then?”  Leigh pulled the pendant out and held it up, so it could be clearly seen.

“That is a stone from my own heart.  Can you not feel it resonating?”  At his question Leigh finally took her eyes off him long enough to look at the pendant.  She was used to it emitting a soft light and the warmth it put off, but now that light was softly pulsing, like a tiny heartbeat.  The thought that it was connected that intimately to the man sitting across from her had her dropping it as if it burned her.

Her eyes were instantly back on him.  His face had not changed.  If her reaction had any effect on him at all she couldn’t see or feel it.  Even with that being the case she had to fight the urge to jump up and run.  Only the knowledge that there was nowhere for her to go kept her in her seat.

She forced herself to focus on her breathing to calm her heart.  He watched her while she fought to bring herself back under control.  Finally, she was calm enough to talk again.  “So, this was an invitation?  That doesn’t really explain why… why me?”

“There are many things across the universe I can change or control but the most important are still out of even my reach.  I do not plan for that to be the end.  I will accomplish my goals.”  There was a quiet ferocity that accompanied his words.  His tone was not harsh, but she couldn’t help but feel it.

Unfortunately, his answer got her no closer to understanding than she had been earlier.  “Is that intended to mean I am somehow supposed to help you meet those goals?  What could I possibly do to help someone like you?”

Leigh knew her last question bordered on rude with the tone she used but she couldn’t hold it back anymore.  It wasn’t that she wasn’t still scared, but her frustration at the whole situation was outweighing her good sense.

She still felt relieved when he apparently took no offence at her tone.  Instead he gave her another small smile, but it seemed as if he wasn’t really smiling at all.  “There will be plenty of time to go over that.  For now, you will need to eat and rest.  Someone will be in shortly with your meal.  I only wanted to assure you that I have no plans to harm you.”

Leigh couldn’t believe what she just heard.  This man, who she was sure was probably the most powerful person anywhere at this point was assuring her safety.  She still had no idea what his plans included but she knew he would not have contrived to have her pulled 10000 years into the future for no reason.  She was also sure that she probably would not appreciate his plans, so his reassurance was somewhat hollow.

She had been so thrown by his random statement that he was already on his way out before she could react.  It finally struck her that she may not have the opportunity to ask questions again.  Something told her their next encounter would be less pleasant, at least for her.  As terrified as she was by the thought of confronting him she still managed to jump up and call out to him.

She was surprised when he paused at the door.  “Wait!  If you don’t want to tell me what your plans are, fine, but can you at least tell me how I got here in the first place?  What exactly do you think someone like me could do for someone like you?”

His gaze traveled down to the pendant hanging around her neck before he finally answered.  “Willpower can be an amazing thing.  A strong will can accomplish many things that otherwise would seem impossible.”

With that cryptic answer he left, and she heard the lock click when the door closed.  She turned and kicked the closest chair in frustration.  While she was now fairly certain he knew when she was from and that he had pulled her here on purpose she was still in the dark in regard to just about everything else.

The chair had come to rest against the locked door but was pushed aside when it opened again moments later.  The sight of the man that entered the room had her on high alert again.  It was easy to see that he was a vampire.  The look he leveled at her was cold.  She could feel the fact that he wanted nothing more than to break her but was holding back.

He had a tray in his hands that she had not noticed at first.  He made his way to the table, taking extra care not to touch her.  He had not said a word to her and she didn’t push him.  His animosity would have been clear even if she hadn’t felt it.  He turned to leave as silently as he had come in.  He only paused at the door to give her a warning.  “Eat everything or you will not appreciate the next attempt.”

Leigh had to bite her tongue to keep from saying what she really wanted to.  This man was obviously not the one in charge, but she didn’t want to provoke him.  Her stubborn streak had finally surfaced at the wrong moment.  He had paused long enough for her to respond and when she didn’t he gave her a smirk before closing the door.

Her first instinct was to take the tray and throw it against the door, but she kicked the downed chair again instead.  Some instinct told her no matter what the first man had said the second would have no problem with making sure she followed orders in whatever way he deemed appropriate.

Her wariness did not stop the string of curses she hurled at the closed door.  It was several minutes before she calmed enough to even look at what she had been brought.  When she lifted the lid from the tray she was surprised to see what looked like a full three course meal.  The smell was enticing as well.

She cautiously pushed everything around on the plate but couldn’t find anything that looked strange.  She knew that didn’t mean much but she finally gave in and started eating.  It was surprisingly good.

Once she started eating it didn’t take long for her to finish.  She hadn’t realized she had been that hungry, but it made her wonder how long she had been out.  She knew it had to have been at least a day since she ate last but given the fact she had no idea how long she had been unconscious, it could have been much longer.

Now that her hunger was satisfied she went back to trying to figure out how to get out.  Since there had been no windows she tried to see if there was a way for her to get the door open.  A closer look provided her with no new options. 

She briefly wondered if her gun could possibly blast a hole in the door allowing her to get it open, but she quickly discarded the idea.  Even if she was able to get it open she was positive the noise would draw someone’s attention and she didn’t want to get stuck in a hallway with no clue how to get out and being chased by someone that would probably be willing to hurt her to get their way.

As an alternative she thought about blasting the wall opposite the door, but the same issues came with that option as well.  Not to mention that she was sure there had to be some form of monitoring in the room.  She doubted they would leave her unwatched.

The thought of being monitored had her looking all over the room again to see if she could find anything.  When nothing came up she felt worse.  She knew that it didn’t mean she wasn’t monitored, but instead that it was just that well-hidden.

By this time, she was getting desperate to find a way out.  She didn’t want to wait and find out what the plans for her were.  She pressed her ear to the door to see if any sound came through.  She couldn’t hear anything but more importantly she couldn’t feel any presences either.

When she realized there was no presence anywhere in her radius she began to wonder if it would be worth it to try to break out.  She knew they could catch her easily if she couldn’t get out fast enough, but she also realized that she would be able to feel them and run the opposite direction.  This observation served to concrete her decision.

Now that she had a plan of action she instantly worked on making it happen.  If she was being observed she didn’t want to hesitate and let someone figure out what she planned.  She paced around the room one more time but as soon as she was opposite the door she pulled her gun and shot at the door all in one motion.

The action in her small room caused a larger noise than she had been anticipating but she didn’t let it stop her.  The smoke hadn’t even cleared before she ran to the door.  She was happy to see her little weapon had been able to blast a good-sized hole in the metal door.  She was only lucky it hadn’t been shielded as well.

She was able to open the door with a good push.  Once in the hall way she paused only long enough to get her bearings and see if she felt anyone drawn by the noise.  She instantly noticed someone approaching quickly from the left, so she ran down the right side of the corridor.

She didn’t pay much attention to the twists and turns she took.  The only thing she payed attention to was the feel of the other people around her, taking whatever turn she could find to get away from those presences.

She could feel at least one presence getting closer.  She knew they were still not too close but couldn’t help looking back anyway.  Before she could look back around she ran headlong into something so hard it knocked her back.  She was stunned for a moment, especially since she had seen nothing in the corridor before she turned, but that instantly turned to horror as she looked up.

The pair of vermillion eyes looking down at her now were devoid of any of the politeness they had tried to show earlier.  She didn’t understand how she hadn’t noticed his presence before she ran into him but was shocked as she finally realized she was currently feeling nothing from him at all.

She could tell that he was less than pleased.  His cold words sent a chill down her spine.  “I am disappointed you find my hospitality so objectionable.  Unfortunately, the alternative rooms are not nearly as welcoming.  I had hoped it would not come to this.”  His eyes had her trapped; his words echoing through her was the last thing she could grasp before descending into darkness again.

* * *

 

As soon as D had found the direction of Leigh’s presence he knew where she had been taken.  Currently he was pushing his cyber horse as fast as he could.  He hoped the beast could last at these speeds. 

He only gritted his teeth harder together when he thought about how long it would take to reach her.  The idea of her being hurt or used made his eyes start to turn red before he pulled his aura back.  He knew it wouldn’t serve for him to go into the situation angry.

He had difficulties keeping his rage down when his companion picked this time to intercede.  “You know it isn’t like you to drop everything for someone else.  Did someone manage to get under your skin finally?”

D couldn’t hold back a low growl.  It didn’t have any effect on the carbuncle except to make him laugh harder.  “Well, honestly I think it’s about time you thought about someone else for a change, just don’t forget her situation… or your own.”

At those words the vampire hunter clenched his left fist hard enough his knuckles cracked at the pressure.  He knew his constant companion had a point, but his only focus was making it to the girl’s location before the worst could happen.


	15. Chapter 15

## Chapter 15

Leigh woke with a start this time.  The terror she had felt when she blacked out instantly returned when she opened her eyes.  As she tried to sit up to assess her surroundings she quickly found that she was somehow restrained.  She was able to lift her head enough to see that not only were there several restraints across her body, but she was also in what she could only dub a hospital gown.  Her situation terrified her even more than it had when she was locked in a room but that didn’t keep her from feeling acute embarrassment when she noted the gown clasped in front and was barely closed.

She wriggled in her restraints to see how much she could maneuver and found she had very little wiggle room.  Since there were at least two bands across each of her limbs and one across her waist, she assumed that meant they were ensuring she would cause no more problems.

In an effort to not focus on her vulnerability she instead focused on how she got here.  She thought back to every encounter she had so far with Him.  She could understand now why D referred to him as such, not blaming him in the least for not wanting to give him a name.  The thing that really concerned her was the inconsistency with her gift where he was concerned.

Looking back, she remembered that she had not felt him when he first took her, a contributing factor to her capture without a fight.  It also bothered her that when she could feel him his thoughts were so inconsistent.  She knew she had been right to be wary of the sadness she felt since it now seemed he could project, or not project as the case may be, whatever served his purpose.

These thoughts only kept her occupied until another person entered the room.  Instantly all of her focus was on the man that so resembled D.  “I hadn’t wanted to resort to this, but you left me with little choice.  If you would at least be at ease, then no harm will befall you.”

Leigh knew she should keep her mouth shut at this point but was having difficulties with that.  She couldn’t contain her fear or her imagination.  “You say that like you haven’t already!”

His mouth drew into a thin line at her accusation and she could tell she may have pushed a little too far.  “I can assure you, no harm has, or will, come to you while you are under my protection.”

Despite knowing better, she couldn’t hold back the scoff at his declaration.  “Do you honestly believe this isn’t hurting me?  I may not be physically harmed but kidnapping and trapping someone is harmful.  Just because it is my mind and not my body, doesn’t make it any less painful.

This time he didn’t bother to respond.  Instead he walked to the machines beside her that she hadn’t noticed before.  She also noticed finally, that she was connected to those machines.  It looked like several electrodes extended to her body for monitoring but the thing that caused her to panic, were the tubes connected to her arm.

Since she couldn’t turn her head very far she was unable to watch exactly what he was doing.  She could hear him interacting with the machinery though.  It wasn’t long until she felt a chill in her arm and realized he had started at least one of the drips.  She couldn’t hold back her terror or the scream it inspired.  However, her scream dwindled as her consciousness faded to black.

* * *

 

As D approached the castle in the distance, he had to concentrate a little harder than normal to suppress all traces of his aura.  He had initially felt some relief at confirming this was the location the girl had been taken.  That relief was short lived as he noticed how many other auras were nearby.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t confirm the other he had been searching for was also there.  That fact didn’t surprise him but still made him uneasy.

He didn’t approach the front of the complex.  He felt certain that he could have gone that way, but he was focused on speed and not just destruction.  He could finish that after he found the girl and got her out.

He circled around the building until he found what he was looking for.  He managed to get into the building with no issues.  He was unable to avoid everyone inside as he was making the most direct route he could find to Leigh.

Running into others didn’t slow him by much.  He moved through the castle as silent as death and leaving nothing but silence and death in his wake.  There was only one being he didn’t want to run into, at least not until after Leigh was removed from this situation.

His focus was entirely on finding her.  He didn’t allow any other thoughts to invade, even though it was hard to push back the thoughts on what her connection was to Him.  He had already formed an opinion but now was not the time to let that split his focus.

The closer he drew to where he could feel her, the more foes he ran into.  It wasn’t just vampires either.  Many of the passages were guarded by creatures that gave most people nightmares.  These were cut through as if they were nothing but paper.

He knew he was almost to her location when he heard a scream ring out.  He instantly recognized Leigh’s voice and pushed himself even faster.  He couldn’t feel anyone near her location and that had his brow furrowing.  There had to be some reason behind her scream.

His uneasiness grew when the scream gurgled into silence.  He reached the room where he could feel her and flung the door open.  He was not surprised to find the man he had spent untold years looking for but when his gaze landed on the unconscious form of Leigh, red seeped into his eyes until there was nothing but an angry glow remaining.

He didn’t give the other man a chance to act first.  His sword was drawn and headed for the heart of the other faster than a normal person could see.  It seemed as if he had connected but on closer inspection the end of his sword was clasped between the palms of the older man.

A snap rang out through the room when he flicked his wrist.  The motion would have thrown another person across the room along with the blade.  D was not moved at all, but the tip of his blade fell with a clatter to the floor.

Instantly the small room turned into a battlefield.  The two men exchanged blows that reverberated through the room.  D was hampered some, since his sword was limited in the small space.  That didn’t prevent him from making use of whatever weapons he could.  There were a couple of times that a bright light flashed across the room only to be returned in less than the blink of an eye.

Even lost to his rage, D was careful not to damage the machinery or table that Leigh was connected to.  It didn’t take him long to notice that his opponent was doing the same.  This did not alleviate any of D’s fears, it only made him angrier as he wondered why she was that important.

“What do you want with this girl?”  D hadn’t stopped his assault and his rage was near to overwhelming but his voice was cold.

The other did not pause either, but he finally responded.  “I had high hopes for you.  Our race is fading but it doesn’t have to be extinguished.”

D growled at his response.  He didn’t care what hopes any vampire might hold.  Their time was already passed as far as he was concerned.  It was his responsibility to finish showing them.

The other man only shook his head sadly.  “I know you don’t understand right now, but there are other options.  Vampires and humans are not the only two races.  There were others that had a heritage nearly as old as ours.  Their lines were ended millennia ago, but they didn’t fade away completely.  Their legacy continued to live on, even if it was diluted.”

D was going to retort that he was not part of the vampire’s race, but it was cut off by the other revelations.  He had known in a vague sort of way that there had been powerful races in ages past.  He had learned some of the basics, but they were history and so not a part of his affected life.  The man’s words had him reevaluating every interaction he had with Leigh up to this point.

His slight distraction almost proved fatal.  He barely dodged a swipe that could have cut him in two.  As it was he now had a thin line across his abdomen that was already oozing blood.  If it affected him at all he didn’t show it.  It did serve to make him focus again.  He could not afford to be less than attentive to this opponent.

His efforts redoubled, and he made it clear he was done talking.  Even though he pressed the other man harder than he had up to this point the man was not showing any signs of concern.  In fact, he picked up the conversation as if nothing had interrupted it.

“You had to have realized by now that she is not a normal human.  Her will is what drew her here, even if she does not realize it yet.  With her help we could create a bridge to span the differences between humans and Nobility.”  D took in what the other man said but chose to ignore it.  He would have time after Leigh was safe to digest his opponent’s motives.  Now, his only concern was getting her away from this place.

It wasn’t long before both men showed signs of the prolonged battle.  D was bleeding from many different wounds, some mere scratches, and others bad enough that a normal person might not be functioning anymore.  His opponent was not unscathed though.

D knew that he needed to finish this battle.  He could ignore his wounds for some time more, but it would not help his cause to let this be prolonged.  An idea occurred to him and he instantly moved to put it in action.

He managed to maneuver them so that he was facing Leigh’s prone form with his adversary standing between himself and the girl.  He knew this could be a gamble, but he couldn’t act like he didn’t mean to follow through. 

When they were in place he threw a wooden needle towards his opponent’s heart, causing him to catch it and throw it back once again.  D dodged to his right and sent a follow up thrust toward the same location.  He watched as the other man moved to block his incoming blade but moved right before they clashed.

In midair D maneuvered to the left in a feint to push past the man and to the prone woman behind him.  He was relieved when his hypothesis proved true and his blade met with the shoulder of his opponent.  It had gone straight through and was still only inches from Leigh’s body.

The man’s face was unreadable as he jumped away from the blade.  His wound was not serious for someone of his power, but he continued to back away from D and his blade.  D couldn’t tell what he was thinking but he was not willing to let him leave.

Despite his persistent attacks the man continued to elude him.  There was a distinct difference in the flow of the battle.  D knew he did not have the advantage but was being allowed to press forward.  He didn’t get a chance to take advantage of the situation though, as the man parried another thrust from D and swirled out of range. 

Once he was on the other side of the room he gave D a long look before spinning out of sight.  His last words fading from the air long after his form was gone.  “This is not done.  You could not be the bridge you were born to be, so the efforts will continue.”

D stayed on guard for several minutes, making sure there was no more trace of his enemy.  He noted that most traces of the others were fading as well.  Once he was satisfied that he could safely check on Leigh he moved to her bedside.

His face was back into its normal calm mask, but his rage was betrayed by the slight red ring that still lined his irises.  He made quick work of the bands that bound her to the table.  He looked over her briefly but couldn’t find any external injuries.  He judged by looking at the machines that she was simply sedated.

Once he was satisfied that she was relatively unharmed he picked her up and moved to find the quickest way out of the complex.  He didn’t care now if it was the front door.  He felt other beings still in the castle around him, but nothing approached, and he quickly had his burden out and away from that place.

* * *

 

Leigh had felt like she was floating in a sea of darkness.  She thought she had sensed emotions around her, but they seemed distorted and magnified.  She couldn’t make sense out of her scattered thoughts and was happy when the darkness became blank again.

Sometime later she felt like she was being pulled to the surface of that dark sea once again.  This time she couldn’t feel anything, but she did think that she heard voices.  There were two of them and they seemed familiar.

She tried to focus on the sound of the voices and finally forced her consciousness to be fully alert.  Once she realized she had been sleeping she managed to open her eyes.  She was greeted by the sight of a fire blazing nearby.  She managed to turn her gaze enough to look beyond the fire and found D staring back at her.

She had never been as happy to see the hunter as she was in that moment.  It didn’t even matter to her that his gaze was as empty as she had ever seen it.  Right now, she was only glad she could be sure in the knowledge that she was safe.

She managed to sit up and did a quick check of herself.  She was pleased to find a headache was the worst of her issues, at least as far as she could tell.  Once she was finished she looked back to her companion to see he hadn’t moved.  His face was still an impassive mask.

Leigh’s joy at not being a captive still could not be contained.  Her first instinct was to jump up and give him a hug and as many thanks as she could, but she realized that would probably not be comfortable for him.  Instead she gave him the best smile she could muster at that moment and let him know how much she appreciated him rescuing her. 

“D, I don’t know if I will ever be able to thank you enough for getting me out of that place.  It… it was terrifying.”  She didn’t want to get into the details of her time there yet.  She still was trying to work everything out for herself before she would be able to discuss it.  It didn’t matter however, as D still had not said anything.  His gaze only hardened at her thanks.

Now that Leigh was calming from her euphoria at being free she started to feel the guilt hit her for allowing it to happen in the first place.  She could understand why he would be upset with her, even if he had been willing to help.

She wasn’t one to put things off once she had decided on something and knew he deserved an apology.  “I know I am the one that put myself in a place that allowed this to happen so easily.  I want to apologize for putting the extra burden on you.  I shouldn’t have wandered off.”

She hadn’t been able to keep his gaze as she apologized.  If she had then she would have noted his slight surprise.  As it was his face bore a scowl by the time she looked back up again.  “I agreed to help you get back to where you came from.  Although I have my own reasons for helping I would not leave you with Him.  I do agree that you were careless, and you need to be more aware of the dangers around you.  It is obvious that you’re not accustomed to the perils of this age.  You have no choice but to learn quickly if you expect to survive long enough to make it home.”

His face continued to reflect his anger at her carelessness and Leigh knew it was deserved.  She had wanted to make sure she wasn’t a burden to him and she had failed at that spectacularly.  “I do understand that this is not my world.  I may not have been born with the instincts to flee at every strange sound that this age inspires but I already know my actions were reckless.  I… obviously I wish I could change them now but that isn’t possible.  All I can say is that I will be more careful going forward.”

She knew she had broken his trust and knew that it would be nearly impossible to regain.  The thought depressed her.  It hit her harder than she thought it would when she realized she had royally screwed up in his eyes. 

His face was no longer set in a scowl, but it wasn’t the calm look she had grown accustomed to when he was relaxed around her either.  The fact that he had been at least a little relaxed around her at some point in the past was starkly outlined by its lacking now.

He didn’t respond to her outburst right away.  When he did finally move it was to lean back against a rock.  He pulled his hat down over his eyes and Leigh barely caught his words.  “Get some rest.  We are far enough away that you will be able to tonight but first thing we will need to be moving.”

His cold dismissal of her was an additional blow.  Her remorse and his dismissal were heavy weights in her chest.  She wasn’t sure if she would be able to go back to sleep, but she laid down anyway.

Her thoughts were consumed with trying to prove that she wasn’t worthless or a burden.  She was almost completely lost in these thoughts as a revelation wormed its way into her brain.  She wondered why it meant so much to have lost the hunter’s trust.

As she examined that idea, it became increasingly uncomfortable.  “I am not falling for him!  This is impossible, and I am only focused on a way to get home!”  She hadn’t realized she had spoken aloud.

Her emphatic statement was to convince herself that this could not happen.  She listed every reason she could think of as to why this was a bad idea, and there were many.  Even though she knew every reason she threw out to her brain was valid, by the time she finally slipped into sleep, she could tell her heart had still not been convinced.

Leigh had turned her back to D while she had been going through her mental exercises and so did not see the hunter was watching the whole time.  She missed the widening of his eyes as he listened to her mumbling.  She would have cringed in further shame if she had realized her broken thoughts and denials had an audience.

The hunter watched as she finally fell asleep.  He didn’t move even after he was certain she was out.  Instead he fell into his own thoughts.  These thoughts were even a mystery to his constant companion, who knew better than to aggravate him when he was still in a foul mood.

Both of them had thoughts that were focused on the girl across the fire.  Both sets of thoughts were also trying to work out how to keep her out of the hands of their nemesis, even if their reasons were not exactly the same.  The night continued to fade to dawn and they were still no closer to an answer.


	16. Chapter 16

## Chapter 16

When Leigh woke, the sun had still not risen.  Since she had slept part of the previous day it didn’t surprise her that it was still dark.  She hesitated to sit up and face D.  After her inner arguments the night before she knew she would have a hard time keeping a straight face.  She had to mentally prepare first.

When she was sure that she could look at his face without blushing she finally sat up.  The only thing she found was the dying embers of the fire though.  D was not sitting where he had been.  She took a quick look around and was surprised to see him with the horse nearby.  “As soon as you are ready, we can leave.” 

She looked over and found that everything was already packed, a fact she was a little guilty to find she appreciated a great deal.  It might make things a little less awkward if she didn’t have to face him while they packed; although she did wonder why he was already ready.  “I will just be a moment.  I hope I didn’t make you wait long.”

He gave her a bland look but answered anyway.  “I heard you awaken and packed.  It was only a few minutes.”

Leigh couldn’t help the blush that came up.  She knew she had been lying there awake for more than a few minutes trying to get herself under control.  She was thankful that he didn’t push the issue.  “Sorry about that.  I’ll have this packed in a moment.”

She finished her morning routine in record time, not wanting to make him wait.  As it was, he was still standing next to the cyborg horse waiting for her when she finished.  He took the last of her things and packed them with everything else.  When that was done he motioned her to mount and followed her up.

Leigh was so concerned with her own thoughts and trying to act normal that she barely noticed that he was still being distant.  When she did notice it, she felt a pang of regret again but a small part of her couldn’t help but be relieved.  It made things easier to deal with.

The sun had come up some time ago and Leigh finally realized she didn’t know where they were going.  It wasn’t like him to not mention something at least but she understood that he was probably still upset with her.  To try and distract herself and figure out what the next steps were she finally decided to speak up.  “I am guessing you have a plan now?  Do you have a destination in mind?”

He took a moment before he answered her.  “There is a place that might hold answers.  It will take several weeks to reach so we will need to be prepared.  There is a village a few days from here where we can get supplies.”

That announcement worked well to get Leigh’s mind off her personal issues.  It finally hit home that it could potentially take months or more for her to get home, and that was only if they managed to figure out how.  Figuring out how she got there in the first place would be the first step.  She supposed that would be the information he was looking for.

She was brought out of her depressing thoughts by D’s next question.  “Did you hear anything that could prove helpful while you were being held?”

She had not wanted to think about her time in that place.  His question made sense though.  She racked her brain for anything that might help.  Mostly she came out of there with more questions but there were a couple of things that stood out to her.  “Mostly it was terrifying and confusing but there were a couple of things that might help a little.  First, that man said this pendant is actually a stone from his own heart.”

She paused when a feeling of rage washed over her.  She double checked her mental shields to make sure they hadn’t relaxed.  The feeling passed as quickly as it came up, so she ignored it.  She only hoped her pause wasn’t too noticeable. “Also, I asked him how I got here, and he said something cryptic about willpower.  I don’t know if that helps though.”

D didn’t say anything for a few minutes.  She understood he was probably thinking over what she said but it was hard for her to not twist around in the saddle to look at his face.  She knew it never showed much but anything was better than not knowing what his reactions were.  As curious as she was she still refused to open up her shields either.  There might be times that she couldn’t help feeling something even with them up, but she respected D too much to invade his privacy and break her promise.

It had been so long since he had said anything, that when he finally spoke again it caused her to jump a little.  She chuckled awkwardly at her response but focused her attention on him. 

“That doesn’t help much but it does give me something to start with.”

“That doesn’t surprise me really.  I had hoped it might ring a bell, but I guess nothing is ever that easy.”  She didn’t bother trying to hold in her sigh.

After that brief exchange they both sank back into silence.  As the day progressed Leigh randomly started conversations in an attempt to keep from stressing herself out about the various things that kept invading her mind.  None of them had any answers and she felt she should be dizzy with how fast they were circling around in her head.  Unfortunately, none of the conversations went anywhere.  It was always something trivial since she was trying to focus away from the heavy things, so D’s responses were short.

By evening she finally decided it was probably annoying to her partner for her to keep up senseless banter.  As she realized what she had been doing all day she was a little embarrassed.  She allowed silence to reign, instead trying to find something to focus on that wasn’t one of her problems.

She was purposely trying to let her mind drift and finally settled on music.  She went through her mental library trying to find the songs that made her happiest; humming random bits as they passed through her mind.  After several songs she finally settled into a mental playlist that allowed her to mostly block out the worrying thoughts.

She hadn’t realized she had been singing out loud until a voice broke her thoughts.  “You find solace in music?”

She jumped at his voice again and this time she couldn’t help but blush.  She finally regained her composure enough to answer.  “Yeah, I’ve always enjoyed music.  It usually either puts me into a mood or gets me out of one.  Either way I like the way I feel when I sing.  I apologize if it bothered you.”

She could feel him shift behind her.  When he spoke again her blush only deepened.  “It doesn’t bother me.  Your voice is pleasant even if the music is unusual.  I have never heard anything like it before.  What were you just singing?”

She had to think back to what she had been singing.  When she realized what it had been she wished she could crawl away into a hole.  Apparently, when she wasn’t paying attention her mind provided her with the most embarrassing song it could think of.  “Well… um… it’s called The Only One.  It’s by Yellowcard… and I’m sure that means even less to you. It’s a song I grew up listening to, along with lots of others.”

“I only heard part of it.  It seemed very… emotional.”

Leigh couldn’t help but laugh at that evaluation.  “Yeah, a lot of the music I listen to is pretty emotional.  Most of the stuff I like was called emo back when I was a teenager.  Looking back, I kinda want to laugh but I still love the music.”

“Emo?”  He said the word like it tasted foreign and she supposed that made sense.  Thinking about it made her appreciate her normal life more than ever.  Living in a time when life and death weren’t so harsh was something to be thankful for.  It was a shame that so many people never thought about it that way, creating extra hassle when it wasn’t necessary.

She had succeeded in making herself depressed again but at least this time it wasn’t for such an embarrassing reason.  She broke out of her thoughts and looked over her shoulder as much as she could.  “I know it sounds funny.  Thinking about it in terms of how you might see it makes so much about my life seem trivial.  I… really miss that life though.  I miss my friends and family so much.”

She hadn’t really opened up about it before since she hadn’t wanted to burden D with her feelings, but she couldn’t seem to hold it in now.  She was surprised when he reached up to briefly touch her arm in a comforting gesture.

“I understand.  I have already promised to get you back home so try not to worry about it.  I will not fail.”  She smiled at his words and made sure he saw it before she turned back around.

“I trust you.  I have faith that if anyone can figure it out, it’ll be you.”  She knew she was close to tears, but she made sure he didn’t see them.  This was the first time he had uttered that promise and his voice had not been cold or distant.  It was a bittersweet feeling knowing he was doing everything he could to make sure she was able to leave this world behind.  Since she was facing away from him, she didn’t notice the slight furrowing of his brows at her statement.

Neither of them spoke again after that, and it wasn’t long until D located a safe place for them to spend the night.  Once they settled in, it wasn’t long until the emotional rollercoaster Leigh had been dealing with caught up and she drifted into a fitful sleep.

* * *

 

The next day had them on the road quickly again.  They had been traveling together enough that it became easy for them both to slip into a pattern for breaking down camp and moving on.  The only difference from the day before being that they were both a little more relaxed.

Leigh had come to a compromise between her heart and brain.  She knew there was something there, but she also knew it wouldn’t do any good to fret over it, so she decided it was best not to dwell on it.  Once she decided that, it was easier for her to make more than menial conversation.  As a result, the day wasn’t spent in complete silence.

Their conversations weren’t all about their predicament.  She was surprised when D started asking her questions about her life.  They were still direct, but she was happy to tell him about growing up in the ‘wilds’ of west Texas on her father’s ranch.  She also couldn’t help the tiny touch of pride she felt when he commented on her ability to dig into the ancient computer she had found.  They were both careful not to dwell on that too long, but it led into her going over her passion for programming.

She was given an opportunity to stop and clean up in the afternoon, one she was more than glad to take.  She tried not to take too long but the slight delay meant they didn’t make it to the place D wanted to stop before dark.  Since they were already traveling through the forest at night D decided to continue on instead of stopping.

Leigh barely managed to hold in a sigh at his announcement but was grateful when he offered to once again make sure she wouldn’t fall if she slept.  She blushed slightly at his offer but ended up not being able to help herself.

When she woke the next morning, she took a few minutes before finally moving.  She was enjoying the feeling of his arm around her waist and the feel of his hard chest under her head.  It was only when she remembered that he probably already knew she was awake that she sat up with a start.  She barely managed to hold in her embarrassment before she greeted him and thanked him for keeping her in the saddle.

When she got herself under control she was surprised to see a dark dot in the distance.  It looked like they were already close to their destination.  The supply destination anyway.  She was thankful for the sight of it.  She had things she needed to take care of, having just woke up, but she didn’t bother complaining since it looked like they would be arriving shortly, and she could get out of the saddle.  The thought that she would be on solid ground again made her smile.

When they got closer she found this town looked significantly bigger than the last one.  It also wasn’t walled so they weren’t stopped when they approached.  They did get several strange looks, but they weren’t bothered.

D wound through the streets and finally stopped in front of one of the larger buildings.  When they went inside Leigh wanted to hug the hunter but refrained, barely.  Instead of heading straight to the general store, his first stop was the inn.  It didn’t take him long to get a room set up for at least one night. 

He gave her the key before heading back out.  “Refresh yourself.”  He paused before continuing.  “If you would like to walk around afterwards, make sure you stay close.  The general store is on the second street we passed from here.”

She was thankful that he didn’t want her to stay in the room.  After her last adventure she wasn’t sure if he would trust her enough to be out of his sight.  It made her feel good that he at least didn’t seem to still hold it against her.

She gave him a bright smile as he walked away.  Once he was gone, she hurried to the room that was indicated and made short work of cleaning up and taking care of her other morning necessities.  Once she was done she found that she was excited to do a little exploring.  She grimaced when she realized that her entire world had been wrapped up in the hunter up until this point and this was a great opportunity to find out more about the world she inhabited now.  Not to mention it was a great opportunity to find something else to think about for a while.

She made sure her gun was in its holster and that her cloak covered it well enough before she headed out.  If this place was anything like the stories, then it was likely that the nobility and their spawn were not in the towns, but they were far from the only dangerous things around.  Her run in with the creeps in the last town was a great example.  If D had not been there, that situation would have most likely devolved into a bloody mess; her blood being the most likely to have been spilled.

With those thoughts in mind to remind her to keep her tongue held in check, she ventured out.  When she got to the street she found that it was fairly busy.  There were dozens of people walking through the area on their own errands.  She remembered that D had told her the store was back the direction they had come in, but she wasn’t ready to meet with him just yet.  She turned the opposite direction and started down the street.

She was pleased to see that she didn’t stand out too much.  She noted she was quite a bit shorter than most people, but other than that her replacement clothes helped her blend in.  She listened to bits of the conversation going on around her and smiled at the banality of it.  It seemed that people still led normal lives most of the time.  Everyone was more apt to be aware of their surroundings but things like shopping, who was dating whom, and life in general were still topics of general conversation.

She had been walking for about half an hour before she realized she had gotten farther away from the hotel than she originally planned.  She quickly turned around, surprising a group of three men that had been directly behind her.  She took in their proximity with an inner frown but managed to smile politely anyway.  With an ‘excuse me’ she moved to pass them and head back towards where she was staying.

She hadn’t made it far before one of them grabbed her arm.  Instantly her heart started hammering but she maintained a frown when she glared back at the man that had her.  “Can I help you?”

“You’re not from this town.  What has you visiting us today?”

Leigh’s frown only deepened.  “You can’t be trying to say you don’t get visitors often.  This town is big enough that I’m sure a lot of people pass through.  Do you molest all of them?”

It was the man’s turn to frown now.  Leigh knew she would have been better off not being confrontational but her mouth always had a mind of its own.  She really felt like kicking herself for getting into another situation so soon after the last one.  Her only consolation was that this was a pretty busy town.  There weren’t that many people around right now, but she knew it wasn’t too far from the crowds.  The only thing that made her uneasiness stay put was the fact that she didn’t know if anyone would react if she screamed.  Back home it was still a matter of luck on who might be passing by and she wasn’t sure if it was any different here.

The man hadn’t let go of her arm, but he had managed to smile at her.  She could tell he was still pissed though.  “Not trying to molest you ma’am, just trying to get to know you a little.  Don’t have many people like you that come through, usually just the regulars for shopping and such.”

Leigh had lowered her shields, so she could better get a grip on the situation.  She found a lot of anger and a little disgust.  She was thankful that was the worst of it.  At least these guys didn’t seem to have truly nefarious intentions.  “Well you can get to know me by asking.  There’s no need to hold on to me.”

At her statement the man reluctantly let her go.  To show good faith she didn’t take off as soon as she was let go.  Instead she gave him a smile.  It was probably easy to see how fake it was, but it was better than a scowl.  “So, what was it you wanted to know exactly?”

“Just seeing what has you in town.  Are you just passing through?”  Leigh could feel the disgust a little more now and finally understood what their issue most likely was. 

She had to fight a little harder to maintain her smile but managed to pull it off.  “My companion and I are just passing through.  We need to resupply and then we’ll be on our way.  It was nice to meet you all, but I’ve got to get going.”

She didn’t wait for a reply before she turned to go.  She was stopped by a hand on her arm again.  This time the grip was a little tighter.  “One minute now.  Who is your companion exactly?  I’ve heard stories of someone with his description.”

Leigh gave up all pretense of politeness at this point.  “Does it matter?  I said we’re just passing through.  I’m honestly a little sick of asshole people bothering us for no damn reason.”

She knew she had pushed too far when his anger flared.  “Look here miss.  We’re the law around here and we don’t want trouble!”

Leigh interrupted him before he got any farther.  “Great, if I get into any trouble then I know who to look for.  Right now, I have things to do though and I need to get to doing them.  If you’ll excuse me, please.”

She didn’t wait for a response before yanking her arm out of his grasp and heading back to the inn.  She could feel the anger behind her but ignored it since none of them made a move to follow her.  She realized if they were the law then they could make trouble for them.  She also realized they were probably just looking out for the townspeople.  It didn’t really make her feel better about their methods though.

When she got to the inn she checked the room and found that D wasn’t there yet.  She debated for a moment if she should just wait for him but her residual anger pushed her to head out to find him.  She wasn’t going to let bigoted bumpkins keep her trapped inside, trying to avoid everything.

She hadn’t even made it to the street D had indicated before she found him heading back towards her.  He was leading a different cyborg horse than they normally rode.  She looked back and verified the normal one was still behind her at the inn and smiled when she realized he had gotten a horse for her to ride.   “Hey, is that for me?”

She couldn’t help the big smile that she gave him for his thoughtfulness.  To her surprise, he returned her smile with a small one of his own.  “Yes, I thought it might be easier if we are going to be traveling for so long.  Also, it will make carrying the supplies we will need much easier.”

Leigh tentatively put her hand up to the horse and patted its nose.  She wasn’t sure if cyborg horses had the same reactions as normal ones, but she felt it was better to be safe.  After she introduced herself to the horse, she took the reins from D and turned to walk beside him back to the hotel.  “So, will the supplies be following, or will we have to go pick them up?”

“They will have everything ready for us in the morning.  We can leave as soon as we gather everything.”  Leigh gave him a nod.  She was still thinking about her run in earlier, but she didn’t want to bother D with it.  She knew she should probably tell him something, so he didn’t run into something unpleasant, but she had to figure out how to tell him without making it sound bad.

“So, the local law introduced themselves while I was walking earlier.  I let them know we are just passing through though.”  She watched as his brow furrowed slightly.  Her hope to not let him know what kind of encounter it had been was dashed at the site of it.  She quickly moved to reassure him.  “It wasn’t a big deal though, so don’t worry about it.”

She mentally kicked herself for even allowing herself to get into the situation, but his brow smoothed, and he just kept walking.  She doubted worry was really what the issue was, but she knew it could potentially be an inconvenience.  She hoped they wouldn’t push back because of her big mouth.

When they got back to the inn she tied the horse up next to their other one and followed D inside.  He had grabbed their saddle bags and took them up to the room.  It was still pretty early in the day, so Leigh wasn’t sure what the plan was.  For now, she just followed him upstairs.

Once they got upstairs and settled, Leigh sat down.  She was getting ready to discuss their next move when she watched D move to pull something out of the bag.  She wasn’t sure if she had seen correctly but it looked as if he had glanced at her while he hesitated for a moment.  The moment passed before she could be sure what she had seen.  Understanding dawned on her though as he grabbed a glass of water and dropped something into it. 

She realized she must have been in that horrible place much longer than she thought at first.  It made her cringe when she realized she had to have been unconscious for most of it.  Between the amount of time and the fact D had probably used his powers to get in and out of that place she understood his need.  When he glanced her way again while waiting for the liquid to turn a deep red she finally spoke up.  “D, you know I’m not going to change my opinion of you just because I’m reminded you’re a dhampir.  You’ve done nothing but help me and I trust you.” 

Her emphasis on the word trust had D giving her an odd look, but he didn’t respond.  Instead he finished the liquid quickly and turned to reorganize their things.  Leigh sighed at his obvious dismissal of the subject and moved to help him finish.

When they got things inventoried and repacked D moved to one of the beds in the room.  “I plan on resting for now.  If you leave, don’t go far.”  After that he laid down and pulled his hat over his eyes.

It was barely midday, but she understood his need to rest while he had the time.  She doubted it would be good rest, but she didn’t want to bother him.  Instead she turned to head back down to the bar on the first floor.  “I’ll go see about getting lunch then.  Would you like me to bring something up?”  She doubted he would take her up on the offer, but she felt weird about not offering.  His brief no was all she needed before she slipped out the door and left him to rest.


	17. Chapter 17

## Chapter 17

Leigh was thankful that D had thought to set up a tab for her for things she might need.  Since she had no currency of her own it would have made getting a meal hard.  She felt guilty again as she ordered her lunch but couldn’t think of a way to earn her own money in the short time they were in the city, especially since everything was still foreign to her.  The language was really the only thing she understood.  Everything else was like a bad movie or nightmares, trying to reflect reality but twisting it in the process.  Pushing her worries away she finished her meal.

Once she was done eating she debated if she wanted to go back to the room and clean up or wait so as not to bother the hunter.  Deciding it would be best to give him some time, she went for a walk again.  After asking the bartender what the best place would be to see, she got directions and headed that way.

The main square was filled with people rushing around.  There was a pretty little fountain in the middle but no one else was paying attention to it.  When she got a closer look, she found it wasn’t made of stone like she would have been familiar with, but instead it was some sort of metal.  It had hydraulic mechanisms that moved with the flow of the water.  She realized it must have been something salvaged and not created by the people of the town.  It struck her as odd that a frontier town would have something Noble made but there was no telling how long it had been there.  She had already seen how little time affected their machinery.

She had half raised her shields when she walked into the crowd.  She wanted to look around but didn’t want to be taken by surprise.  She realized, the longer she stood staring at the fountain and its intricate design, the more people were focusing on her.  None of their feelings were pleasant so she decided it would be best to head back before something else happened.

It wasn’t quite dinner time when she got back to the hotel and she didn’t want to bother D if he was still sleeping so she took a seat at one of the tables facing the door.  She hadn’t been there long before a pretty waitress came and asked her what she wanted to order.  She hadn’t wanted to order anything yet, as she wasn’t hungry, but the room was starting to fill up and she knew they probably didn’t want her taking up space if she wasn’t ordering anything. 

She agreed to move to the bar to free up the table and told the waitress she would order there.  The young girl only gave Leigh a scowl before she turned to another table with a smile.  Leigh shrugged it off and took up a spot at the bar.  It wasn’t long until the bartender asked her what she wanted.

Leigh decided that it would be best to just get something light for now.  They didn’t have much but were able to provide her with some sort of sandwich.  She ate slowly, mostly watching the room fill as she ate.  She hadn’t been able to finish it though.  She found that she didn’t have as much of an appetite as she used to.

When she was finished the bartender cleared it away and asked if she wanted anything else.  She was going to turn the offer down but changed her mind.  “Do you have any juice?”  She knew it was probably a weird question, but she had been surviving on water for some time now and wanted something a little different.

She didn’t notice the strange look the bartender gave her when he answered.  “We have one kind of juice.  Are you sure that’s what you want?”

Leigh only gave him a big smile, thinking about how nice it was going to be to consume something for pleasure and not need for the first time in god knew how long.  “Yes, please!”

The bartender shook his head at her enthusiasm but poured the drink anyway.  When she finally got to taste it, she couldn’t help the small sigh of contentment, followed quickly by a widening of her eyes.  Apparently, the juice was some sort of alcohol.  It only had a slight burn, so she figured it must be something like wine and smiled as she continued to sip it.

She turned her back to the bar as she sipped her drink, watching the growing crowd.  The crowd was mostly male, but it was interesting to see everyone’s reactions.  There were a few single people on the fringes enjoying a meal or a drink, keeping to themselves quietly.  The majority of the room consisted of groups, mostly enjoying conversation and a meal. 

Every eye turned to a small stage that barely qualified for the name.  It was a raised platform barely a step above the floor.  Leigh hadn’t even noticed it until one of the other waitresses stepped up and started to sing.  It was a happy tune that had Leigh smiling even bigger.

Her smile was wiped away when she spotted the three men she had run into earlier in the day.  They didn’t bother hiding the fact that they were watching her, and she wondered if she had been followed all day long.  With her shields mostly up, she had a harder time identifying individual emotions.  It was only when they were strong and focused on her that they came in clearly when she was focused on blocking most things.  The men across the way had mild disgust and irritation which weren’t strong enough to make an impression unless she focused.

She couldn’t help but give them all a glare before turning back to the bartender.  She asked for another juice and pointedly turned back to the waitress once she had it.  She sat through several more songs before she decided it had been long enough and she needed to clean up before turning in, since it could be a month or more before her next chance at a hot bath.

She was surprised to stumble a little when she stood up.  It seemed the drink had been stronger than she thought but it wasn’t so strong she couldn’t walk still.  She noticed the three men look at her like they were thinking about intercepting her, but none actually stood.  She couldn’t help but stick her tongue out at the trio in her frustration before she headed up the stairs.  Vaguely she realized that was pretty childish, but she really didn’t care.

When she got to the room she did her best not to make noise as she gathered her things.  She only bumped into the table three times before she managed to get everything and head to the small attached bathroom.  She dared to glance over at D and found that he hadn’t moved yet.  She gave his sleeping form a big smile as she slipped into the bathroom.

She took her time with her bath, enjoying a long soak before she finally cleaned up and got out.  As she tried to get dressed she found that her brain was still pretty fuzzy, and her coordination wasn’t what it normally was.  After nearly falling several times trying to put her pants back on she gave up.  She could finish dressing in the morning.  She started to walk out of the bathroom in her underwear and shirt but stopped before she opened the door all the way.  She blushed when she realized what she had almost done and grabbed a towel to wrap around the lower half of her body.

She was thankful she had bothered but blushed bright red anyway when she stepped out and found D sitting in one of the chairs.  “I’m so sorry if I woke you!”

D gave her a long look before answering.  “You didn’t wake me.  Are you feeling well?  I heard you stumble several times.”

Leigh’s blush only deepened at his question.  “Ah… yeah, I’m fine.  I ordered a juice and it seems as if it was a bit more alcoholic than I realized.”  She didn’t want to admit to just how dizzy she was.  She was barely able to concentrate well enough to manage not to slur her words.  She wasn’t one to drink often or much so she had rarely ever been in this position.

It didn’t help that her shields were demolished, and she could clearly feel the amusement from D’s left hand.  His caustic comments broke the silence that had followed her announcement.  “Well isn’t that a predicament.  Not too smart either given who’s around you.”

His voice had been filled with laughter, but Leigh still had the feeling he hadn’t been referencing the people downstairs.  She knew it would have been best to remain silent at his jab but couldn’t find the willpower to care right now.  “I trust the people I’m currently around so I’m not that worried about it!”

She had walked right up to D while she spoke.  Her eyes were on the hand that was still laughing.  “Look here, it might not have been my smartest move, but I’ll be okay by morning and if I have a hangover then I’ll deal with it.  You won’t have any reason to complain.”

“You might not need to worry about the morning.”  Leigh scowled at his cryptic comment.

She hadn’t realized that she had let the towel fall before moving and was now standing right next to D in only a shirt and panties.  It was brought to her attention in a flash when a hand came up and grabbed her waist.  The seated D then buried his face in her stomach, completely hiding it.

Leigh was so shocked it took her a moment to process what had just happened.  When she realized her predicament she immediately rushed to move away, her face blazing again.  She was stopped when a low voice growled out to her.  “Don’t move.”

She stopped trying to get away, the tone in his voice striking more than a little fear into her.  She trusted him but there was a base instinct in her human heart that told her in no uncertain terms that she was in danger.

She knew it was a violation, but she had her shields down instinctually, trying to make sure she wasn’t in actual danger.  What she found had her wrapping her arms around D’s shoulders without thinking.  There was a deep hunger running through D.  What had her hugging him to her middle was the shame that went with it.  “D… oh D, please don’t beat yourself up.  I meant it when I said I trusted you.  You’ve already proven to me what kind of person you are so many times now.”

A growl accompanied her movements, but he didn’t pull away.  His grip only tightened when she spoke.  She found herself running her nails lightly across his scalp in what she hoped was a soothing motion.  Her brain realized these actions would not normally ever be okay, but her emotions had already taken over.  Comforting the hurting person in front of her became her sole objective.

She had lost track of how much time they sat there like that.  Eventually the strong hunger passed but the shame was still there.  She couldn’t help the tears that escaped when she felt that.  She hated not being able to help him.

He pulled away from her and stood to put distance between them without looking at her.  Normally at this point she would have blushed at the situation she found herself in and tried to get away.  Instead she felt terrible that she had instigated another problem.  Her logical brain and better judgement were still half buried.  She couldn’t just leave someone she considered a friend feeling like he had when he pulled away.

This time it was Leigh that wrapped her arms around D’s waist from behind.  She felt him stiffen and he grabbed her hands.  She presumed he was going to remove them, but she spoke up before he could.  “I can’t begin to understand what you have been through, or how you feel about all this, but I can tell you that I’m not going to run away screaming, even if that might be what most would consider the logical choice.  Logic was never much to me, having more insight into emotions than I ever wanted, and you mean too much to me for me to do that anyway.  I would never abandon a friend that might need me.”  She realized she was rambling some and could hear the slight slur in her words now that she wasn’t concentrating on how they came out.  That was only a vague thought as she was focused on something much more important.

When she spoke, his hands paused.  Finally, he turned to face her.  She still had her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.  She knew that she shouldn’t have opened her shields in the first place and tried to get them under control as he put his hands on her shoulders.  She was only partially successful, but she thought it might have more to do with the fact that the self-loathing was still a strong emotion.  Her tears only fell harder as she realized that was still the prominent emotion.

He allowed her to stand there like that for some time before pushing her back.  He only hesitated a moment before bringing his hand up to wipe the tears from her face.  “Do I scare you so much?”

It took her longer than it should have to realize he was asking if that was why she was crying.  When she did she scowled at him, the effect ruined by her red nose.  “No!  I know I should be, but I’m not.  You… I know it would be child’s play for you to hurt me if you wanted to, but I also know you won’t.”  She reached up to touch his face like he had touched hers but realized that would not be a good move.  Instead she laid her hand above his heart.  “I don’t know if you’ve never had someone trust you explicitly, but I do.  I know you have no intentions of doing any harm to me and that means you won’t; even if you can’t convince yourself of that right now.”

When he moved away she could tell that he still didn’t believe her.  She made a vow to herself at that point to do what she could during the time she spent with him to help him understand he was better than he gave himself credit for.

He walked to the door and barely turned to her before walking out.  His words drifting back over his shoulder.  “You should sleep.”

Lefty’s words followed close behind as the door shut behind them.  “You’re going to need it after tonight.”

Leigh gave the door a dark look before turning to the bed D hadn’t been occupying earlier.  Her head was full of what had just happened.  She dropped down on the mattress, not caring about anything else at the moment.  She had already started to sober up finally but instead of giving her clarity of thought, the alcohol finally caught up and caused her to fall asleep still thinking about everything.

* * *

 

D went down to the bar that was still busy.  His thoughts as full of what had just happened as Leigh’s were.  He ordered a drink and went to a corner to think alone.  He noted the men that gave him dirty looks but ignored them.  No one made a move in his direction and he had other things to think about.

He knew his actions had been unpardonable and he didn’t understand how the small woman could have such faith in him when he didn’t himself.  Having her standing so close, the heat from her bath rolling off her and the scent of her fresh washed skin were more than he could handle.  Just thinking about it again had the hunger rising.  He pushed it down violently before it showed in his face.  His thoughts disgusted himself.

He was wrapped up in trying to figure out her words to him before he left the room when a voice so quiet it only reached his ears drifted up to him.  “You know, you could try actually listening to her.  I know you don’t think she’s sane, and I agree with that thought, but she’s certainly convinced about you, or at least how she feels about you.”  That last part was accompanied by a dark chuckle.

D didn’t bother to answer.  Knowing how she felt about more than just his actions was another thorny subject.  He didn’t even bother trying to stop his companion from talking anymore.  Instead he downed his drink and ordered another from a passing waitress.  His thoughts kept him occupied for the moment.  He wasn’t sure how much longer the bar was going to stay open, but he didn’t want to go back in that room until he was certain the woman that was occupying his thoughts was asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

## Chapter 18

The next morning Leigh woke with a dry, disgusting feeling in her mouth and a pounding head.  She wondered what could have happened until she remembered the fact that she had been drunk the night before.  Remembering the rest of the happenings of the night had her sitting up in a rush and looking for D.  Seeing his reclining form on the other bed, she couldn’t decide if she was relieved he was still there or mortified that she was going to have to face him.

She had always tried to keep her feelings to herself.  Growing up she found that when people reacted to her emotions it made it harder for her to concentrate on blocking them out, so she tried her best not to get other people involved.  Last night had been a disaster.  Her shields had already been weak and what she felt still made her want to cry.

Shaking off her morbid thoughts she tried her best to get up without making a sound.  She avoided looking at D while she gathered her things and got ready for the day.  She felt much better after splashing some cold water on her face, and much more prepared to face her hunter companion.  When she came out of the bathroom she wasn’t surprised to see him packing their things for the day.  She felt herself blush again when their gazes crossed but she forced her voice to sound normal when she addressed him.  “I apologize for acting out last night.  I didn’t mean to drink really but that is no excuse.”

He looked at her for a moment in silence before he finally answered.  “We all do things we regret sometimes.”  He didn’t allow her to respond before turning back to pack the last of their things.

Leigh couldn’t help an inward cringe at his words.  She knew he had a level of self-loathing that was completely unhealthy.  She also knew that he wasn’t about to let her help with it.  He had made that abundantly clear the night before.  She couldn’t help but shake her head at his back but turned to finish putting her things away instead of saying anything else.

Once they were finished he headed out the door and down to the horses, Leigh trailed behind him.  When she was reminded that she had her own horse to ride now she couldn’t help but raise silent thanks.  After the previous evening it would have been incredibly awkward to ride in the same saddle.  She had dealt with it before but was happy she didn’t have to again.  Her only concern this time would be if he withdrew into his shell.  She tried to stay positive when she remembered that he spoke to her in the room and it hadn’t been frigid.

D hadn’t bothered to mount his horse when they exited the inn, choosing instead to lead it.  Since it wasn’t far to the supply store and she knew there was no telling how long they might be in the saddle, she opted to follow suit.  There weren’t that many people out yet, but Leigh could feel people were paying close attention to the two of them.  She looked around trying to figure out where the uneasiness was coming from.  Her eyes finally landed on two of the three men from the previous day standing on the other side of the street.  When she caught their gazes, they made no secret of watching her and D leave, scowls evident on their faces.  She decided that she was done caring.  She resisted the urge to flip them off, knowing they might not understand the reference anyway, opting instead to follow her instincts from the previous night again.  When she glared back and then stuck her tongue out at them she heard a raspy laugh.  This time she didn’t bother holding back her rude gesture, aimed at D’s left hand.  This caused the laughter to grow a little louder actually garnering looks from people passing by; at least until D squeezed his hand into a fist, effectively shutting his companion up.

Once they reached the store they found everything ready for them.  It didn’t take them long to pack and Leigh was happy to see that her horse was already coming in handy for more than just carrying an extra passenger.  She had still felt a little guilty that he had done so much for her, but it seemed as if it would be necessary.  When everything was stowed they headed out of town.  Leigh kept her senses open to make sure no one was going to cause trouble for them before they left.  She found several people that were glad to see them go and were nasty about it.  No one moved to bother them though, so she considered it a win.

They hadn’t been gone long before Leigh realized that although the horse she was riding, and D’s looked similar, there was still something that separated them.  They both were cyborg horses that had a fast gait and were sturdy, but he had to slow to let her keep up.  She wasn’t an unexperienced rider, but she couldn’t figure out how he handled the horse to make it go so fast and still smooth.

By the end of the day she felt worse.  She knew there was no way they could have made it as far as they would have if it had just been D and his horse.  She wasn’t sure if he had taken that possibility into account.  By the time they got camp set up she finally decided to ask about it.  “D, I wanted to apologize for slowing us down.  I don’t know what it is you do exactly but there is no way I could keep up if you were riding like normal.”

He didn’t give her a chance to continue before speaking up.  “I didn’t expect you to keep the pace we had previously.  Don’t apologize.  I had already taken that into account.  We traveled well today, so don’t let it bother you.”

Leigh beamed at him.  She still felt a little guilty that he had to accommodate her but was happy that he had already thought about it.  “Thank you!  I promise I will do what I can to pick up the pace as we go.”  The look he gave her at that was unreadable, but she didn’t think it was his upset face.  Shrugging it off she helped finish the preparations for the evening and was asleep before long.

Leigh quickly found that the days ran together as they traveled.  D had not distanced himself from her after their encounter in the last town and she was happy about it.  Being on the road with him for weeks would have been unbearable if he had.  The only thing keeping her from loosing it was the fact that both D and Lefty would keep up a minimum of conversation if they weren’t in especially dangerous areas.  D even went so far as to ask her to show him more of the music she was always humming.  She was embarrassed at first but was happy to share one of her passions.

It had been nearly a week into their travels when D declared they had to ride through the night and picked up the pace some.  She was able to keep up but into the early hours of the morning she was finding it harder to concentrate enough to stay in the saddle.  Her eyes had started to slide closed for probably the dozenth time when D finally stopped.  It took Leigh a moment to notice but since he didn’t dismount she only brought her horse up next to his.  She was surprised when he took her by the waist and transferred her to his saddle.  She twisted in the saddle enough to look into his face.  He had already tied the reins of her horse to the back of his saddle and was on the way again.  She couldn’t help but speak up when he didn’t offer an explanation.  “What is this about?  I know this can be uncomfortable, so I can ride my own horse.”

He barely looked down to her before responding.  “Sleep while you can.  You can go back to your own saddle when you awaken.”

Her mouth dropped open in surprise.  She knew she shouldn’t be by now but when he went out of his way to be kind she was blown away.  Part of her wanted to argue, to prove that she was strong enough to keep up, but the better (and smarter) part of herself realized she should take advantage of the opportunity while she had it.  Those were the last thoughts she had before she finally allowed herself to sleep.

* * *

 

It looked to be midmorning the next day when she woke with his arm firmly around her middle.  He stopped when she stirred long enough for her to get back on her own horse.  She thought she detected a hint of tenseness in D when he helped her down but if it was there it passed before she could pinpoint it.  His demeanor wasn’t any different than it had been for the last several days.

The next several weeks blurred into one long monotonous stream.  There were several times they had to ride through the night after that and each time D offered to allow her to sleep while he guided both horses.  She knew it had to be taking a toll on the hunter, but he wasn’t showing any signs of it.  When they were able to stop she made sure to go out of her way to make sure he didn’t have to do much.  She had become adept at setting up camp alone, making sure she got to most of it before he did.  After several days like that he realized what she was trying to do and allowed her to continue.

The only things that broke up the monotony were the occasional monster attacks.  For the most part D had them dealt with before Leigh could even think to get involved.  There were a few times that there were groups so large that not even D could handle them all at once.  It was during those times that Leigh proved she hadn’t asked for a gun for no reason.  Part of her suspected he allowed her to help, not because he really needed it, but more to help her feel like she was contributing.  If that was the case, he kept it to himself and Leigh was happy to be allowed to help where she could.

They had been on the road for nearly three weeks by her best estimation when she realized D was leading them in a slightly different direction.  They had been heading steadily east but that day they had started to curve slightly south.  She also noted that there were fewer monsters around.  By late afternoon she noticed a darkening on the horizon to their left and finally asked about it.  “D, I noticed you started leading us more southeast today, also it looks like there is something big to the north of us.  What is that?”

He gave her an appraising look before he finally answered.  “It’s the Capital.  We have to pass it to get to our destination, but I would rather avoid it.”

Leigh finally understood why they were going out of the way and couldn’t help but feel better as well.  She knew it had to be uncomfortable for any dhampir to enter the Capital, if not downright dangerous.  She was also sure with a city that size she would have been miserable.  If the skyline was anything to go by, even if it had been mostly empty, there would be more than enough people to drive her mad.  She knew he had probably gone around for his own reasons, but she still wanted to let him know she appreciated it.  “Thank you.  I don’t know how far out of our way this puts us, but I wouldn’t have wanted to ride through that gauntlet either.”  He looked slightly surprised by her thanks.  It was quickly replaced by his small smile.  Leigh didn’t get to see it often so when he gave it she couldn’t help but beam back in response.

Once they were passed the enormous city their trip went back to the tedium it had been.  Leigh had completely lost track of how long they had been on the road, but it had to have been at least a month and a half by now.  Occasionally she had pangs of homesickness.  She would wonder what her parents and her two best friends thought about her unexplained absence.  She knew her mother along with Aimee and Tyne were probably worried sick.  When she thought about them she felt guilt at worrying them but most times it felt like that life had been nothing but a pleasant dream, even the parts that were uncomfortable.  She vowed if she did end up making it back home she would never complain about working or anything else she had previously considered hard.

As much as she felt guilt about her mother and friends she was really worried about her father.  They weren’t what most would consider close as she only talked to him once every few months.  What most didn’t see was that he understood her in a way most people never did, not even her mother.  They had the special kind of relationship that didn’t need many words.  She also knew that her father would overturn heaven and hell both to find her.  She knew it had to be driving him crazy to not even have a clue as to where she could be.  She also felt sorry for anyone that was around him.

She was pulled out of her reverie by the voice of the hunter riding next to her.  She had to have him repeat himself, causing her to blush at how distracted she had been.  If he noted her embarrassment or was upset at having to repeat himself, he didn’t show it.  Instead he pointed at the horizon in front of them.  “There is a village there.  We will be stopping there tonight, and I want you to stay while I continue.  It is less than a day’s hard ride from there to where I need to go.  It would be better if you stay behind.”

It took a moment for what he had said to really sink in.  When it did she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it.  The logical part of her mind knew it made sense.  If he wasn’t sure what he might run into, especially where that man was concerned, then she knew she would just be in the way.  There was still a small part of her that was feeling abandoned.  She had managed to get D to open up some over the last weeks, at least a little and had become accustomed to talking with him.  She had even become accustomed to the snarky comments Lefty would invariably inject into their conversations.  The thought of being left alone with complete strangers in this strange world made her even sadder than thinking about her family had.

She was sure her thoughts were clear on her face as D reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.  “I shouldn’t be gone more than one night.  This is a well-fortified town so there shouldn’t be any problems for you there.”  She sighed at the fact that he had misunderstood her distress but was glad he hadn’t thought more of it.

“I’m sure you’ll be back as soon as you can.  I don’t have a problem waiting either.  I know I would just get in your way anyway.  I’m just… uncomfortable thinking about being around so many strangers and already feeling wrong footed in this time period.”  She had almost added that she was worried about him as well, but she was certain he wouldn’t have understood.  Her brain knew there was nothing out there that could hurt the hunter, but it couldn’t seem to convince her heart of that.  She knew it didn’t make sense but… caring about people rarely did.  She just managed to keep from thinking the one thing that she refused to admit, even to herself.

He didn’t seem to notice her inner conflict thankfully.  Instead he gave her shoulder a squeeze before letting it go.  “You are capable enough it shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

Leigh was surprised at his words.  He had given her slight approving comments during their travels, but he had never come out and straight up praised her.  It might not have sounded like much coming from anyone else but from D it was high praise and she couldn’t help but grin at it.  The thought that he thought so much of her instantly bolstering her flagging spirits.  “Thank you!”  She didn’t have to say anything else.  He understood just by seeing her smile.  She hadn’t thought it was possible, but when he smiled back her grin grew even wider.

They spent the next hour in relative silence.  They were pushing their horses as fast as Leigh could manage to arrive before nightfall.  They barely managed to make it, but the gates were still open when they arrived.  The guards gave them both a once over but didn’t stop them, allowing them to pass unhindered into the small city.

The town was almost as large as the last one they had stayed in.  The few villagers that were out this close to dark were hurrying on their way to get to their destinations before the sun fully set, so few paid any attention to the passing duo.

 It took them some time to find the large inn in the center of town, so the sun had already sunk when they walked in the doors.  The place was fairly full since it also doubled as a saloon.  Leigh took the time while D booked the room to look around and get a feel for the people here.  They were a motley group but mostly consisted of men ranging from big and burley to wiry.  It was obvious these men were accustomed to taking care of themselves though.  When she reached out with her extra sense she found that most had the standard feelings you might find in a place like this, happy, tired, distracted, etc.  It didn’t look like many of them paid any attention to her and D, a fact that both pleased and confounded her.  It was beyond her comprehension how anyone could miss the tall hunter, not counting his looks.  She had to wonder if they got intimidating strangers often.  If so she wasn’t sure if that would make her stay here easier or harder.

Her evaluation of their current situation was interrupted when D rejoined her and gave her the room key.  She turned to give him a small smile and was almost happy to see two waitresses near the bar giving her dirty looks.  She could tell they were jealous and had to fight a blush as she realized why.  The thing that made it easy to bear was the fact that she confirmed it wasn’t just her obsessing over her traveling companion.  He really did draw attention.

She pushed all those types of thoughts aside when they reached the room.  She found herself having to do that more and more often.  A fact that was made even harder to deal with by how much D had finally opened up.  She knew there was still so much he had not, and probably never would, share with anyone other than the parasite that inhabited his left hand.  She wouldn’t have been surprised to learn there were even things he didn’t know about the hunter. 

There had been many times over the last couple of weeks of their trip especially, that she had to stop her thoughts from finishing themselves.  She knew deep down that it was probably already too late, but she refused to admit it to anyone, herself included.  She hated deluding herself, but she couldn’t accept the alternative, especially since the whole point of this trip was to get her back home.  It already hurt too much when she thought about leaving D behind.

These were thoughts she had been unable to banish from her head as they got ready for sleep.  She knew he would be leaving early and wanted to make sure she was up when he left, so she tried to force herself to sleep.  When they finally laid down it took her longer than she would have liked to wear her brain out enough to allow her to drift off.  Her last thoughts were still about the man that occupied the other bed.


	19. Chapter 19

## Chapter 19

Leigh was awoken by a hand on her shoulder, slightly shaking her.  Her eyes opened to see D kneeling next to her bed.  It took her sleep addled brain more than a few moments to produce any other reaction than smiling up at him dreamily.  It took the sound of smothered laughter to finally make her realize something else was needed.  When she realized what she had been doing she sat up quickly, only the hunter’s fast reflexes prevented her from bumping heads with him on her way up.

Once D was assured she was awake and alert he moved over to the two bags on the table.  He picked up one and indicated the other.  “There should be enough gold in there to provide you with necessities.  I have already paid for the room and meals so don’t worry about that.  My goal is to be back by nightfall tomorrow so try to keep your head down until then.”

Leigh suddenly had to push down the urge to jump up and give him a hug before he could leave.  Since she was barely able to contain herself from making a fool of herself, she simply nodded her understanding.  When he turned to leave she finally jumped up and called out to him.  “Be safe!  I mean… I know you will of course… but you know… just watch out.”  She wanted to kick herself for the outburst, but she couldn’t reign in the need to let him know his safety was on her mind.

He looked back at her for a moment before a small smile graced his lips.  “You stay safe as well.”

Leigh could feel her face burning but she smiled back anyway. “That’s the plan.”  He nodded one last time before leaving.  Leigh stood staring at the door for a few minutes before she shook off her stupor and moved to get ready to face the day.

Once she was ready she headed downstairs.  She hoped that even if this place didn’t serve breakfast they could point her in the right direction.  She still had rations in her bag, but she didn’t want to use them for two very good reasons.  First, they would need them when they got back on the road again, and secondly (and most importantly) there was no point in eating tasteless rations if there was real food to be had.  If she couldn’t get that much from staying in a strange town in a strange world, all by herself, then what was the point really?

When she made her way downstairs, she didn’t see anyone at first.  She milled around the large empty room for a few minutes, noting that the place was pretty clean considering the people that packed it the previous night.  After her impromptu inspection she walked to the counter at the back of the room and tentatively called out.  She waited for a minute and when there was no answer or person coming from the back, she started to head out.  She was stopped by a voice.  When she turned she saw a man with his arms full, making his way behind the bar.  She couldn’t really tell where he was coming from but shrugged it off as she walked back over.

“Ah yes, you must be the young Miss Leigh that was traveling with the gentleman that checked in last night.  He told me to help you in any way I could when he left this morning.  Is there something I can assist you with?”  Leigh was pleasantly surprised.  This was the first person, or human anyway, that had treated her with genuine kindness since her arrival.  She couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he didn’t know who was staying under his roof or not.  As soon as the thought crossed her mind she chastised herself for being so judgmental.  She would work under the assumption he was genuine and deal with it later if it turned out otherwise.

She gave him a bright smile when she answered.  “Thank you!  Yes actually, I was hoping for a bit of breakfast.  Do you serve it here or will I need to find it elsewhere?”

“Oh, I do apologize but we are strictly a bar.  Since we don’t have a kitchen you will need to go down the road.  The man you are traveling with made arrangements however, so you should be expected.  The restaurant we recommended is just to the left, three buildings down.  If you need anything else, I’d be happy to help; I’ll be here until this afternoon.”  Leigh was happy to see the man was projecting actual remorse and willingness to help. 

She gave him another bright smile and tried to reassure him.  “I appreciate you pointing me in the right direction.  If I have any other questions…”  At that she paused when she remembered her lack of plans for the day.  “Oh wait, I don’t have much to do for the next day or two. Is there something like a library here?”

At her question the man’s eyes furrowed and she felt unease from him for the first time.  She wondered what she could have said to bring it on but came up clueless.  His stammered reply didn’t help to make it clearer either.  “Well, ma’am, there isn’t really much in this town in the way of trying to entertain a lady such as yourself but if you could give me some time I’m sure I could speak with the Mayor. I bet he would love to speak with you.”

“What!?  I wouldn’t want to bother someone like that!  What made you suggest it?”  Leigh knew she had been harsher than she meant to be.  It was just that the suggestion completely surprised her.

He looked a little taken aback but forged into a response anyway.  “I’m sure the Mayor wouldn’t be bothered at all.  I can have his response by the time you’re back from breakfast.”

She wasn’t sure how it had escalated to a meeting with the Mayor, but she knew she needed to figure it out quick.  “I apologize if that came out harsh, I was just surprised.  The offer seemed to have come out of nowhere.”

“Ah, I understand.  You asked for a library and the closest thing we have to something like that is the Mayor’s personal collection.  You may be used to fancy things like that in the Capital but out here in the frontier you won’t find anything like that unless you find a Noble’s stash and then only if there is no Noble to go with it.”  Leigh just stood staring at the man behind the bar.  She had no idea how he got that she was from the Capital but more than that she was surprised that her favorite pastime was such a big deal these days.

“I… see.  Well in that case, if you really don’t think it would be a bother, I would like to see what the Mayor has at least.”  She wasn’t thrilled with meeting the leader of the town but just talking with him couldn’t be the worse thing she had done since she arrived.  Not to mention, she did say she would try to stay out of trouble and if she could at least get on friendly terms with the Mayor then it should be easier to do.

When she focused on the bartender she was rewarded with a genuine smile again.  “Of course, it won’t be any problem.  I can’t think of a single man I know that wouldn’t want to spend more time with a pretty little thing like you.”  Leigh blushed brightly at his complement, a fact that prompted him to stumble over his words again as he caught sight of it.  “I… I didn’t mean nothing by it ma’am.  Just ignore my rambling.  I’ll go talk to the Mayor and be back shortly.”

Leigh forced herself to smile through her burning cheeks in an effort to assuage the man.  “Please don’t mind me.  It didn’t offend me at all, just surprised me some.”

At that the man finally calmed.  “Well you shouldn’t let something that simple surprise you so.  I bet you get it all the time.”  He had already turned at that point, and Leigh just wanted to drop it anyway.  He had started to put the bottles he had carried up in a crate to their places under the bar.  When he stood to grab another batch, he smiled one last time.  “Go enjoy your breakfast and everything will be ready when you get back.”

She smiled back before heading out.  “Thank you!  I’m looking forward to it.”

It didn’t take her long to find the place the bartender had mentioned. When she walked in she was greeted by a tall woman.  It only took a moment for Leigh to explain the fact the man at the bar had told her to come to this restaurant.  Once the woman realized who she was she smiled brightly and led her to a little corner table that was filled with a small vase of flowers and bright sunlight that streamed through the nearby window.  Leigh admitted to herself that though the place was smallish, it had a cozy air and the woman was friendly and accommodating. 

When the food came out it was just as good as she had expected given what she had seen so far.  She took her time to finish; relishing every bite.  She knew she had a couple of days here and wanted to take advantage of the little plusses while she had the opportunity.  When she was finished the woman waived off her concerns of payment, stating everything was already covered.  Leigh was so happy to finally find people that seemed nice instead of like most she had encountered so she couldn’t help but to share a bright smile of her own as she left.

The smile quickly left her face when she walked outside.  There were two large men standing right next to the door, looking like they were waiting for something or someone.  When they caught sight of her one of them approached.  Her nerves were on high alert with his proximity, but he stopped a respectful distance away and she couldn’t feel anything negative from him.  “Would you happen to be Miss Leigh”

“Yes, is there something I can help you with?”

Her fear was completely dispelled when he spoke again.  “Yes ma’am.  I work for the Mayor and he asked that we meet you and escort you to his place when you’re ready.  If you have something else to do first we can accompany you.”

“That won’t be necessary.  I can go there now.  I didn’t really have plans today anyway.  Thank you!”  She couldn’t believe everyone she had met so far had been nothing but polite.  Even the people they passed as they walked through the town were practically oblivious to her and her escort.  The most invasive thing she felt was curiosity. 

She was surprised to see a small well-kept park on the way.  It surprised her further when they passed through the park and approached large gates.  It seemed as if this town was more prosperous than any of the ones they had visited yet.  It would explain why the populace was friendly. When people had less to worry about they tended to be friendlier.

The gates opened at their approach and Leigh got the first sight of a large manor type house.  It wasn’t as opulent as any of the Nobility’s castles she had seen, but it had a grand air, especially located inside this frontier town.  Her two escorts lead her straight to a sitting room before leaving her there to wait for their boss.

When Leigh finally felt the man approaching she frowned at the oily sheen of his projected feelings. She hadn’t even laid eyes on him yet and already didn’t like him.  When he finally entered the room and his eyes lit up she liked him even less.  She was on guard since his feelings were coming to her in a strange way.  It was like she was listening through a filter.  They weren’t hidden, but they felt weird.  Add to that the fact that he had more than a healthy dose of lust pouring off him from the moment he first saw her.  The whole situation had her skin crawling and she was already trying to figure out how she could leave as soon as possible without causing offence.

“You must be Miss Leigh.  I am Mayor Ardelean, welcome!  I must admit when Max asked me if one of his borders could come visit my personal library, I wasn’t sure what to think.  Seeing you though, I can understand why he felt it would be alright to ask on your behalf.  We have many people that pass through this town but none that have your bearing.”  He hadn’t lost his smile or the nearly invasive feelings during his introduction but nothing she had felt so far came across as aggressive.  With that being the case she knew she couldn’t just bolt.  Instead she managed to push it down and smile back.

She ignored his quip about her bearing and just tried her best to be polite.  “Thank you, Mayor.  I hadn’t wanted to be intrusive, but I was assured it would be ok.  I appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to allow me this opportunity.”

She hadn’t thought it was possible, but it seemed as if his feelings grew even oilier after that.  She had to fight the nauseous feeling it caused.  He didn’t seem to notice her distress as he came even closer before grabbing her elbow to lead her to a chair.  “Not at all.  I don’t have the opportunity very often and it’s my pleasure.  Why don’t you have a cup of tea with me then I can show you to my collection.”

Leigh wasn’t sure she would be able to stomach the tea but still hadn’t figured out how to leave politely yet.  He wasn’t exactly being aggressive, but she could still call it almost pushy.  Once they were both seated a man in a nondescript black suit rolled a trolley in with a steaming pot of tea and finger foods.  He poured them each a cup before leaving them alone again.

Leigh was certain she wouldn’t be able to eat anything and hoped the excuse that she just had breakfast would be enough.  The tea smelled good however and after her first sip she was glad to see it was helping to calm her stomach and her nerves.  “Thank you for the tea, I apologize for not being able to accept the rest of your hospitality, but I just came from finishing breakfast.”

“Don’t let it bother you.  Once you are done we can head over.”  Leigh noticed he didn’t really partake in the tea or scones either and had a brief moment of panic, thinking that he might have spiked the tea. It passed when she realized his feeling still had no overt feeling of aggression, just nauseatingly lascivious.

She decided she had been polite enough and put her cup down.  She stood with the thought of thanking him for his time and leaving but before she could he was at her side and leading her down the hall by her elbow.  He wasn’t dragging her, but his grip was firm.  She didn’t bother trying to take back her arm, but she did decide to keep her shields down in case things changed.  She also decided to go ahead and take the opportunity to see what a library in this day and age would be like while she could.

As they walked she looked over at her host.  She could see how, if she were normal, the man holding her arm could be considered attractive.  He was fit looking and had the chiseled jawline, arched brow, and aquiline nose of the classically handsome.  She still couldn’t manage to see him as anything but repulsive, especially since she wasn’t normal and was privy to information most would never know.

She shook those thoughts off when they reached the library.  He led her into a large room that had shelves on every wall with two tables and several comfortable looking chairs taking up the space in the middle.  The whole thing looked like what she pictured an ideal library would be, with rolling ladders included.  It was hard for her not to become obnoxiously excited and start jumping up and down in place.  She gave her host her first genuine smile since meeting him.  “This is amazing!  It isn’t the biggest library I’ve ever seen but it’s so cozy and inviting!  I can’t wait to see what you have in here.”

The mayor chuckled at her obvious excitement.  “Well I’m glad it meets your approval.”  He stepped back and allowed her to start roaming, randomly looking at titles as she walked around.  “I apologize, but I must get back to work for now.  You are welcome to stay as long as you would like.  If you need anything, please ring the bell on the table.”

She smiled back over her shoulder and thanked him absently as he walked away.  Her attention was dragged back to him once more when he stopped at the doors on his way out.  “Oh, I completely forgot my manners.  If you would do me the honor of having dinner with me tonight before you leave, I would very much appreciate it.”

At his request Leigh stopped her random wandering at looked back at him in surprise.  She should have guessed he might do something like this.  She stood there silently evaluating him for a moment before realized she probably seemed rude.  With a small sigh she finally answered.  “I don’t want to continue to be intrusive in your day.”

He stopped her at that point before she could continue.  “Brightening up a room and adding color with your smile is not something I would consider intrusive.  As a matter of fact, I would consider it an honor.”

Leigh wanted to grimace at his insistence but could feel no reason to deny him.  “If you are sure, then I will accept.  Thank you for offering.”

“The pleasure will be mine.  I look forward to dinner.”  With a last smile he was gone, shutting the double doors behind himself.

Once he left, silence descended on the room.  It wasn’t uncomfortable, but the reverent air you might find in any well stocked library.  Leigh felt right at home.  She spent the first hour randomly picking up books and leafing through them.  There were a great many on leadership and tactics, but a few of the ones she had seen were fables.  She finally decided on one and curled up in one of the large stuffed chairs to consume it. 

She was halfway through it when her stomach gave her a reminder that she had forgotten lunch.  She felt a little embarrassed but didn’t want to leave and try to find someone, so she gave the tiny bell a ring.  It was only a moment later when the same man from that morning entered and asked how he could help.  “I had almost forgotten about lunch.  Could you please point me in the right direction, so I can go eat?”

“I can have lunch brought to you here.  Is there anything else you require ma’am?”  Leigh was taken aback by his statement but didn’t bother arguing.  She was sure her host wanted to make sure she stuck around for dinner, so it didn’t really surprise her once she thought about it.

“That’s all for now.  Thank you.”

“If you will excuse me then.  Lunch will be delivered shortly.” 

He turned to leave but Leigh stopped him before he could shut the doors.  “Oh, I almost forgot, I know it’s late for lunch so could you please just bring something light?”

“Of course, ma’am.”  He gave her a slight bow before closing the doors again. 

True to his words it was only a matter of minutes before a woman knocked once and then entered with a tray.  She set it on the table nearest Leigh with a bow.  “If you need anything else ma’am please let me know.  I will be back later to retrieve the tray.”

Leigh thanked her before she left and turned to the food.  It was a small selection of crustless sandwiches and cut up fruit.  There was also some fruit juice.  Leigh tentatively took a sip of it and smiled when she found no hint of alcohol.  She couldn’t have asked for a better lunch.  She finished it in no time and was back to reading again.

When the woman came back to get the tray, Leigh barely noticed, just managing to get her thanks out as the woman was leaving.  It wasn’t long after that she finished her chosen book, a smile of satisfaction on her lips.  It wasn’t a particularly heavy book, but it had a happy ending, something that Leigh was thankful to encounter where she was.  It gave her mood a boost.  She hadn’t realized she was so saddened by not being in D’s presence until she felt it lift a little.

With a shake of her head at her predicament, she moved to find another book to occupy her time with until dinner.  There was a section of books in the back corner that she had skimmed over in her earlier search, since they were all in languages she wasn’t fluent in.  As she walked passed this time, one in particular caught her eye.  It was in French, a language she had learned but was rusty in, as she didn’t use it often.  It was the title that made her do a double take, ‘Histoire du Sacre et du Impie’.  She read it twice before deciding that she had, indeed, read it correctly. 

She didn’t even realize she had already sat down before she had it opened and was skimming through it.  Her French was so abysmal that she decided trying to translate it from the beginning was a lost cause.  Instead she started to skim through it, looking for anything that might be interesting enough to work through.  She gave a gasp as her eyes landed on a picture near the end.  It looked exactly like the pendant she was wearing.  Finding this out of the blue had her breath locked in her throat momentarily.  Before she could start in on the translation however, a hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to jump and yell out in surprise.

Her heartbeat barely slowed when she turned to find it had been her host.  “I came to escort you to dinner, but I see you have found one of our family’s heirlooms.  From what I have been told it was given to an ancestor of mine more than a millennium ago.  I can’t say for sure that it really is that old but no one I know can even recognize the language.  If it had any wisdom to impart, then I’m afraid it has been lost to the ages.”

Leigh couldn’t help but stare.  If no one here even recognized the French language, could she ask to look through the book without raising suspicions?  Was he being truthful even, or was it a test to see how much she knew about the subject matter?  She was burning to find out what information she might discover, but she realized now was not the time to push it.  She could always ask to return and hope that it hadn’t been moved.  “I apologize.  I didn’t realize it was something that important to your family.  I’m interested in always learning something new and this looked fascinating.  I’m afraid it didn’t do me much good though.”  She tried to give him a chagrined look and hoped he didn’t push.  It seemed to work as she felt his silent ogling return.  The feeling of it disgusted her but it was better than deeper scrutiny.

“No harm done at all.  I am always glad to find a fellow scholar.”  With that he stepped forward to grasp her elbow once again.  She was already tired of his manhandling but allowed him to guide her to the dining room anyway.  “I hope you enjoy dinner.  I asked for something special.”

He led her to a chair near the head of the table and pushed in her seat once she was seated.  She had to give him props for being a gentleman, on the outside anyway. He took the seat at the head of the table next to her.  As soon as he was seated the same man from earlier started serving them.  It was immediately apparent this was a much more formal affair than anything she had ever attended.  There was too much silverware and she could feel him watching her.  She was trying to watch him out of the corner of her eye to see how he might handle it, but he still hadn’t moved.  When she realized he was probably waiting on her she reached out and picked up the fork furthest away from her plate.  She was pretty sure she had read somewhere that you went from furthest to closest.  The knot in her chest eased when he finally smiled and picked up his own fork as well.  She was happy to note that it was the same one she had used.

The rest of the meal was thankfully uneventful.  Her host made polite small talk throughout and Leigh was able to forget her nervousness and push her burning questions about the book she had found down for the moment.  She was still grateful when dessert was finished, and she could leave without making an enemy.  “Thank you for the wonderful meal, as well as allowing me to browse through your library.  I haven’t seen anything like that in many months and it was a balm to my soul.”

Her complement seemed to please her host as he smiled brightly at her.  His next words had her wondering if she had laid it on a little too thickly.  “You are most welcome.  You are also welcome to come back any time.  I don’t know how long you intend to stay but my library will be open to you while you are here.  If you are headed back to your hotel now it would be my honor to escort you.”

Leigh wasn’t sure how she had managed to find the one insincere, wannabe gentleman in the whole town but with his position she didn’t want to piss him off, especially as he had something she was still interested in finding out more about.  She gave him the best smile she could muster before answering.  “Thank you for the extended invitation.  I’m not sure if I will be leaving tomorrow or not, but if I stay, I may take you up on your offer.  For tonight, I will be fine walking back on my own, but I do thank you.”

She was nearly at the end of her rope, trying to be as formal and polite as she could, not to mention she was already tired of the feelings she was getting from him.  Since she had spent so much of her time during dinner trying to deal with it, she already felt a headache starting.  It seemed as if luck wasn’t on her side when he insisted.  She decided it wasn’t worth it to fight him on it so allowed him to take her elbow once again and escort her back to her hotel.

When they arrived, she had to hold back a shiver when he leaned over her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.  “I hope to see you again tomorrow, Miss Leigh.  For tonight please sleep well.”  She barely managed a mumbled goodnight back before rushing into the hotel and straight to her room.


	20. Chapter 20

## Chapter 20

D left his companion behind with a slight sense of trepidation.  He knew logically that she would only be a detriment where he was going, but a small part of his mind wouldn’t let go of the thought that they still had no idea how far that man would be willing to go to get what he wanted. His only consolation was the fact that he had left her in one of the most fortified towns nearby.  He knew it wouldn’t pose much of a block for his nemesis, but from all other issues she would be safe.  It would have to be enough for now.

Pushing his concerns to the back of his mind he sped up.  The quicker he finished this search the faster he could return. He barely paid heed to the voice of his constant companion, instead trying to focus on what he might find.  The only true words of wisdom Lefty had, were those of caution.  There was no telling what they might run into while searching.

It was late afternoon when he finally slowed his horse.  Ahead of him stood towering piles of rubble.  If a person came through and didn’t know what they were looking at, there is no way they could guess it used to be one of the largest complexes for the Nobility outside of the Capital.  It was one of the first built by the Sacred Ancestor once the Nobility had seized control.  It wasn’t the only facility he built, or the largest, but it still held many dark secrets most thought lost.

D navigated to a part of the destroyed complex near the center.  He had to crawl over several portions and move large sections out of his way, but he knew what he was looking for and right where to find it.  It was only a matter of time until he dug down far enough to expose a crumbling staircase.  It looked to be in worse shape than it actually was.  D descended into the darkness, only stopping when he reached a large set of doors.  He reached out and a blue glow enveloped him before the door opened with a pop.

The room lit with a soft glow as soon as D entered.  Unlike the last facility that Leigh had uncovered, this one seemed to go on for miles.  The entrance hall was nearly as large as the single room had been but there were doors that lined the walls instead of monitors.  D had been here when the complex was still standing and knew what he was looking for.  Most of the doors went to various rooms filled with specific experiments, lodging for the scientists, and a few had millennia worth of research.  It was those last that D had come for.  Most of the research had been digitalized but there were still several rooms worth that were in nothing but written format.

During his search for the first room on his list he ran into a few monsters and other security measures that had been put in place to keep the world at bay.  None even slowed the hunter down, but he did feel a slight apprehension that they were the worst he had run into yet.  He had felt that this intrusion would be one that might warrant a more personal approach.  The fact that he hadn’t yet faced a single vampire had him slightly worried.  Not that he would be worried about the encounter, but the lack of resistance had his mind on high alert, and if he dared admit it, his worry for the companion he left behind increased.

He first moved to the room that contained the computers.  It didn’t take him long, with Lefty’s help, to access the ancient machines.  It took longer for him to sort through the data, but since he knew what he was looking for, most of it was irrelevant and was pushed to the side for further scrutiny if no other information turned up.

When that search proved to be fruitless, D turned to the first of the large libraries.  There were so many books that if D had been a lesser man he would have despaired at the idea of leafing through them.  As it was, he was able to skim the titles and pull out several to start with that he felt could be relevant.  By this time, it was already well into the night, but D didn’t show any signs of slowing down.  If his companion thought to remind him to rest, he brushed it off without comment.

* * *

 

When Leigh got back to her room, she went straight to the shower.  She could still feel the licentious gaze of the Mayor on her skin and wanted to wash it off.  She was still glad that she had stayed long enough to find that book, but she wasn’t sure how she was going to put up with him again long enough to find out more.  Part of her was sure that if she did go back, he might take it as license to follow through on some of the thoughts he kept broadcasting.  The thought made her shiver until the warm water of the shower worked to relax her enough to forget about it.

It had already been late when she was escorted back to the hotel.  She also stayed in the shower long enough for her fingers to prune up, so when she finally toweled off and headed to get ready for bed it was the middle of the night.  She changed into her nightgown that she had stowed and kept from when she first arrived.  Without D around she was going to take advantage of the fact that she didn’t have to sleep fully clothed.  It was such a small thing, but she felt nostalgic wearing it.  A strange feeling for just a change of clothes, especially when she had been so happy to have something else when she started in this time.

She had finally managed to get her hair dried well enough for her to sleep and had crawled into bed when she heard a noise that seemed out of place.  It was surprisingly quiet up here, given the size of the crowd she assumed was still below.  In the silence every little noise stood out.  When she didn’t hear it again, she shrugged it off as probably another traveler headed to bed. 

She hadn’t even gotten comfortably settled when she heard it again.  This time it was easy to identify as a slithering sound, like a snake making its way across the floor, or like cloth being dragged.  Either way it made her uncomfortable and she was up in a rush.  She had the light on and was looking around for the source of the noise.

Her eyes widened when the sound suddenly seemed to stop right outside her door. They grew even bigger as smoke started pushing its way through the crack under the door.  She panicked for a moment thinking the hall was on fire.  As soon as she pushed the panic down she rushed to the window to see if there was a way for her to make it down from up here.

She hadn’t managed to even get the window cracked before two strong hands gripped her upper arms and pulled her back against a firm chest.  She was again shocked at this turn of events, but it lasted a much shorter time.  She wrenched against the grasp on her and managed to turn to face her assailant, thinking it was the man that had been lusting at her all day.

When her eyes connected with who it actually was her knees turned to jelly.  There was no way she could stay on her feet and she collapsed in a heap.  The only thoughts she could process were curses at herself for not wearing her holster even while she slept as well as a fervent wish that she had thought to remind D they needed holy water, or garlic, or anything that she could use to fight the monster in front of her.

The man just stood and stared at her dispassionately while all these thoughts ran through her head.  When her brain finally came to a screeching halt she looked up and met the eyes of the man that looked so much like D. Once he was sure she was done panicking he reached down and helped her to her feet, keeping one hand on her arm so she wouldn’t fall again.

Leigh couldn’t think passed her terror long enough to process why or how he was here now.  Her fright only heightened when he finally spoke.  “I did say I would be returning for you, surely you cannot be that surprised.  It is convenient that your knight is gone for the evening though.”

Leigh stared at him blankly, not able to comprehend what he was saying at first.  When it finally sank in she started thrashing around violently, trying to break his hold or distract him enough for her to get away.  She didn’t care if he killed her at this point, because she knew there were far worse things than death, and she wasn’t interested in finding out what he had in store.  Everything in her rapidly beating human heart told her to fight and run.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been fighting his grip on her arm, but she could tell there already had to be bruises forming.  He wasn’t doing anything to actively hurt her, but his grip was immovable and her thrashing against it was causing harm.

Finally, it looked as if he had had enough and grasped her other arm in an iron grip, effectively immobilizing her upper body.  Instead of stopping her though, it had her flailing against his grip even harder.  It wasn’t long until a low snarl echoed through the room accompanied by a deathly aura.  The two combined to instantly stop all movement from Leigh.  She looked up into her assailant’s face to see his brow furrowed.  He didn’t seem to be angry but there was a slight hint of irritation.  She might not have noticed it if it weren’t for the fact his face looked so much like her companion’s.  Thinking about that fact made her suddenly want to cry. She did her best not to show it though.  This opponent already had too much of an upper hand, she wasn’t about to give him any more ammunition.

Now that she stopped fighting to free herself he looked over her face carefully before he spoke again.  “You are an intriguing human.  You fight through your fear and can still look me in the eye when my aura can bring strong men to their knees, cowering in front of me.”  He paused at that and she thought he might have sighed, but if he did it was barely audible.  When he continued, Leigh wanted to break away even worse but the beastly aura around her had her immobile.  “I don’t want to do any lasting harm to you, but I need you to obey me and not fight.  I can already see you will fight me every step if I don’t take measures to stop you.”

With those words he released his hand from her right arm and reached up to brush her hair back from the right side of her neck.  She was screaming inside at this motion but couldn’t articulate even the smallest sounds.  He looked at her face once more before wrapping his free hand behind her shoulder, grabbing the back of her head, and tilting her head to the side; the motion bringing her body in close to him.   She watched from the corner of her eye as his head leaned over.  She could feel his hot breath on her neck, still unable to do more than scream inside her head.  When she felt his fangs pierce her skin she gave in, closed her eyes, and allowed her tears to fall silently.

The moment seemed to stretch out, but she could tell it couldn’t have been more than a few moments before she felt a rush of heat flash over her body.  It wasn’t enough to break her from his grasp, but it allowed her enough movement to pull back from his dangerous fangs.  She could still feel the heat of his breath on her neck, but he didn’t move to bite again.  It was after a moment of silence that she finally felt his rumbling chuckle reverberate through his chest and against hers.  It was a sound devoid of any true mirth and it gave her chills.

He finally moved, licking her neck where he had bitten her and then straightening.  He hadn’t moved either hand so when he looked down at her his gaze was far too close for comfort, a fact she was unable to do anything about.  He wore a small smirk, but it too was devoid of any true feeling, it seemed more like an automatic expression than anything real.

As terrified as she was his next words left her confused.  “You are indeed an interesting morsel.  This is unexpected, but I will allow it to play out.  It may end up working in my favor.”  With that he leaned down and licked the wound on her neck once more, before melting into smoke and disappearing once again. 

As soon as he was gone Leigh could tell she was in control of her own body once more.  That knowledge didn’t do her any good as all she could do was collapse where she stood. Her eyes were not seeing anything around her, her brain was still too busy conjuring the horrifying images of moments ago.  The only movement in the room was her shoulders shaking with her silent sobs and the glint of the moonlight on her tears.

* * *

 

D had lost count of how many books he had already skimmed through.  His frustration was growing as he couldn’t find any mention of a time travel plan or the pendant his companion wore.  He knew it was already early morning but refused to stop.  He didn’t want to leave her any longer than was necessary, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet.

He had been intent on the page in front of him when he felt an overwhelming wave of terror and a sense of danger wash over him.  When he worked passed it he immediately knew it wasn’t his own.  He wasn’t sure how his companion had tapped into the small bond he had formed with her when he drank her blood, and right now it didn’t matter.  She was in mortal danger and he wasn’t there to protect her.

The book he had been holding hadn’t even hit the floor before he was racing back down the halls and out into the night.  It made no difference to him that he left a trail of destruction in his wake, his only thoughts on how long it would be before he made it back.  His mind was already conjuring images of her bloody and broken body waiting for him.  His snarl rang out into the night as he pushed those thoughts aside. If there had been anything in the night that might have thought of attacking the lone hunter, it was quickly dissuaded by the aura of rage that surrounded him.

 He was already pushing his horse to the fastest speeds it could muster for him.  Subconsciously he knew the horse wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long, but he didn’t care as long as it kept it up long enough to reach where she waited.  He ignored all the comments from his companion, as he was only preaching caution and the need to stop and plan instead of rushing into an unknown situation.  The only facts he had were that she was still alive and still in the location he had left her.  How much longer either would remain true were still unknown and he didn’t want to take the chance that it would change before he arrived.


	21. Chapter 21

## Chapter 21

After Leigh had been attacked she lost track of how long she sat in the floor before coming back to her senses.  Once she did, the first thing she did was hurry out of her nightgown and into the shower. She felt so violated that her efforts to wash the feeling of his fangs and tongue off her skin had it raw.

After her shower she went back into the room to try and rest.  Seeing the abandoned nightgown on the floor, she picked it up, only to freeze at the sight of crimson marring the white of the cloth.  There was a small spot of blood drying on the right shoulder of her gown.  The instant reminder had her back in the bathroom, trying to wash the evidence off what had once been her favorite nightgown.  She was able to get all visible traces of blood out of the cloth, but she wasn’t sure she would ever look at it the same again.  It was certainly no longer her favorite.  One too many tragedies had befallen her in it now.

Once the gown was clean she found herself back in the shower for the second time.  Her washing wasn’t as aggressive as her skin was already tender to the touch, but she couldn’t help but to keep running her hand over the site where two perfect little holes marred her neck.  Each time her fingers touched the wounds on her neck or the lurid bruises that had formed on her arms, she found herself scrubbing again. She finally gave up when she noticed a tinge of blood on the rag she was using and decided it was past time for her to stop.

When she dried off this time, she tossed the rumpled nightgown onto the table and fell straight into the bed, not bothering to dress.  She still made sure her gun was nearby.  She curled up under the blanket with it clutched close to her chest.  She did try to fall asleep, but it was in vain.  She jerked with every little noise, and that fact made sure she would get no rest.  Her mind had not slowed, keeping her body on high alert for another intrusion.  Finally, after the vision of recent events played through her mind for the dozenth time, she found herself back in the shower.  It was easier to deal with her tears when she could try to delude herself into believing it was mostly water.

This became the pattern for the rest of the night and into the next day.  She could see the daylight outside at one point but hadn’t moved from her cocoon of covers.  She realized it must have been at least midmorning when a knock sounded at the door.  She jumped up with a strangled scream, her gun pointing at the door.  She faltered when she heard the worried voice on the other side.  It was the man she had spoken to the day before.  It felt like that had been ages ago.  When he knocked again she finally managed to speak up.  “I’m fine but feeling under the weather.  Please let me rest.”  She wanted to make sure she wasn’t disturbed again.  She finally heard him mutter his understanding and walk away.  She wasn’t sure how convincing she had been, but at least he hadn’t pushed.

Once he was gone she stood there, lost, for a few moments before letting her pistol fall onto the table.  She found herself headed for the shower once again.  She knew it was fruitless, but she wasn’t ready to face the rest of the world and it helped keep her from breaking down completely.  She had lost count of how many times she had been in there since the previous night, but she thought it might have been the fifth.

She was drawn out of her morbid thoughts suddenly when she heard a crash in the outer room.  She looked around frantically for anything she could use as a weapon, palming the soap to use as a projectile if she had to.  All the tension left her body when she heard D’s voice call out.  “Leigh!”

She dropped the soap and almost fell over at the relief she felt.  The only thing keeping her upright was the wall she was leaning on.  “D!  I’m in the bathroom.”

She had moved to grab a towel when she called out to her companion but wasn’t even able to get it wrapped all the way around herself when the door of the bathroom busted open.  When she saw the look on the hunter’s face, a look that hinted of fear and concern, a look she was sure she never expected to see on his face, she couldn’t help but throw herself into his arms.  His arms came up automatically to wrap around her shoulders and cradle her head to his chest while she cried.

Neither of them seemed to notice or care that she was soaking him as she stood dripping in his embrace. They both stood there silently until her sobs slowed. She felt him tense beneath her cheek, but he hadn’t pulled away.  Finally, she pulled back slightly and looked up.  His eyes were closed at first and when he opened them she could still see a slight reddening.  She felt no fear though.  He stared at her face, his eyes roving, taking in each detail and cataloging them, confirming she was not harmed.  When they found the redness on her neck, surrounding the two small holes she felt a nearly silent growl rumbling in his chest.

Neither of them had said anything yet but when he saw the wounds, he knelt slightly and picked her up.  She was too shocked to protest when he carried her into the small room and sat with her on the bed.  Once they were seated his hand ghosted over her neck, causing her to cringe.  His hand stilled at that, but he finally spoke.  “You were attacked…”  He had more to ask but hesitated.  He was sure he already knew the answer to the rest of his question but needed it confirmed anyway.  “By whom?”

Leigh couldn’t make herself meet his gaze.  She wasn’t sure what she was feeling exactly but shame was more than a small part of it.  She logically knew there was nothing she could have done to stop it from happening, but it didn’t make her feel any better about not being able to defend herself the one time she was left alone.

He gave her a moment but when she still hadn’t responded he cupped her chin and gently raised her face to meet his gaze.  When he saw the tears falling silently he brushed them away from her cheek with his thumb.  “You are safe now.  Tell me what happened.”

Leigh didn’t want to talk about it but knew she shouldn’t really put it off any longer.  With a hiccup she finally tried to tell him what happened.  “It was some time in the middle of the night.  I was trying to sleep and… _he_ came. He slithered under the door like smoke.  He said something about telling us he would be back for me, but I fought him as best I could… I guess it wasn’t nearly enough.  He… when he…”  Leigh tried to continue but was caught by another sob.  She didn’t wait for D to move before trying to force it down and finish her tale.  “I’m sorry D!  I couldn’t stop him.  I couldn’t even move.  I tried, I really did, but he said he was going to make sure I couldn’t fight him.”  When she finally managed to finish her short tale, she allowed the sobs to take over once again.  D cradled her head silently, but she could still feel the rumble of the low growl that escaped him.

D silently stroked his palm across her damp curls in a soothing motion as he allowed her to cry against him.  When he spoke, Leigh could feel his voice rumbling against her cheek, and it soothed her more than his actual words could.  “I know there is no way you could have stopped him.  I’m glad you are still here and safe after that.  I apologize for not being here to protect you like I had promised to.”

His words brought Leigh up short.  She should have known he would blame himself and she wasn’t about to allow it.  “No, don’t you dare apologize.  You couldn’t have known he would try while you were gone.  I don’t want to hear it.”  She paused at that and realized he had already known something had happened when he came in.  That could have been the only explanation for his actions when he first arrived.  She also realized he was back much earlier than expected.  “How did you know something had happened anyway?”

D was only confused for a moment at her request. He realized she must have figured out he knew an attack had happened and had rushed back.  “There is… a small bond between us.  It allows me to find you when we are apart among other things.  It formed when I nearly attacked you the first time.”  He hadn’t wanted to articulate those circumstances but knew she deserved an explanation.

Leigh was surprised to learn of the existence of the bond, but she realized that must have been how he found her when she had been kidnapped.  As that occurred to her, she could only feel thankful towards it.  She didn’t even mind that it had been kept from her until now.  As she was turning this new knowledge over she felt D start to pull away from her.  She could tell his mind had turned to his self-loathing and she wasn’t about to put up with it now.

She grabbed the edges of his cloak on his chest with both hands and held on firmly, not allowing him to back off any further.  She looked him straight in the eye conveying her will for him to stop pushing away.  “Don’t.  Don’t you dare pull away from me now.  I am not scared of you and I don’t blame you for what happened.  Just stop it already.”

She knew he was capable of forcing her to let him go but he didn’t move to do so.  He had frozen in her grasp, just watching for any wavering in her gaze. She wasn’t going to show him any.  The conviction that he was worth trusting with her very life was something she was wholly convinced in and she wanted him to see it as well.  She was finally rewarded when he let go of a small sigh and relaxed in her grasp slightly.  “I can’t win against you.”

She was so surprised by his quiet murmur that she couldn’t help the small giggle that escaped.  “You’d do well to remember that too!”  He couldn’t help feeling relief at her smile.  He had been worried when she hadn’t stopped crying since his arrival.

It was at this point that they both realized, at about the same time, that when he had lifted her and carried her to the bed, the towel that hadn’t even been covering her properly, had dropped.  This meant she was sitting on the bed, on D’s lap, with nothing but his clothing between them.  Leigh froze when she made the realization but when she saw him notice it as well, she started to squirm, feeling slightly uncomfortable.  She wasn’t sure she could get away at this point without making her exposure worse.

She dared to glance back up to his face before she finally decided to make a run for it.  She found his eyes were roving over her form and couldn’t fight the flush that burst onto her face.  His eyes connected with hers at that point and she froze again.  There was no disgust in his gaze.  She might have thought there was a touch of something else even, but she refused to allow herself to delve deeper into that thought.

When their gazes held, and the eye contact stretched out, she felt a strong rush of emotions push passed her already weakened mental shields.  When she realized that there was lust along with the inevitable bloodlust she couldn’t help the look of wonder that crossed her face.  The bloodlust she had expected, but the other was more than she would have ever thought possible.  She hadn’t realized she had moved until she noted her face was now right in front of his.  She paused at that point but didn’t pull away.  When his hand finally came up and cupped her cheek, she closed her eyes and allowed the last of the distance to disappear.

His lips on hers were tentative at first but when she didn’t pull away the pressure became firmer.  Leigh had released the lapels of his cloak to allow one hand to splay out along his chest.  Her other tentatively reached up to wrap around his neck.  His only reaction was to wrap the arm that wasn’t on her face around her waist and pull her closer.  When he did that she tangled her hand in the hair at the nape of his neck, putting a slight pressure to draw him in even closer.

She wasn’t sure which one of them had moved first but she suddenly found the kiss deepening. When her mouth opened further to allow him better access, he took advantage of the motion.  At that point she couldn’t help the quiet moan that came from somewhere deep down.  She felt, rather than heard, the answering rumble from D.  The voiceless sound had her melting around him.

His lips had moved to kiss along the corner of her mouth, down her jawline and finally to her neck.  The small kisses were like fire, leaving a trail of heat along her skin that wrenched an even louder sound from her as she let her head fall back.  At that moment she felt D freeze.  His face buried into her neck as his arms around her pulled her so close she almost felt crushed.

As her desire addled mind finally realized what the problem was she reached out and gently pushed on his shoulder.  He resisted moving at first but finally tried to pull back.  She could feel the remorse rolling off him, even though she was trying to block it.  She didn’t allow him to move far.  She wrapped both arms around his neck firmly.  Her body was still pressed close to his and she was having a hard time concentrating past the rough feel of him moving against her.

She shook the feeling off.  She knew this was an important moment and she wasn’t going to let D retreat back into his shell.  She looked him straight in the eye and gave him a small smile.  “How many times do I have to tell you that I trust you.  I know I have told you that I trust you with my life but that is only part of it.  We’ve been traveling together for months.  I know you had ample opportunity during that time to use me in that fashion and you didn’t… you won’t.  I realize you may not trust yourself but… don’t pull away.  Please.”

She could hear the plea in her own voice but didn’t bother hiding it.  It had been different when she was dealing with his cold hunter façade, but she knew now that’s all it was.  She hadn’t been trying to delve into his emotions, but she knew he saw her as more than a burden.  She was still trying her best to keep up her shields, so she didn’t know how much more, but the fact that she had seen it in his eyes before their lips had met, was enough for her.

She frowned slightly when her plea seemed to fall on deaf ears.  He hadn’t made a move to push her away, but his eyes were still cooling.  When he began talking she realized why and almost wanted to cry.  “Even if my Noble heritage did not have me lusting for your blood, I have nothing else to offer you.  I cannot allow this.  There are things I must still do.”

Leigh sat still for a moment, willing her tears not to fall as her mind raced.  She had already known on a subconscious level that this was why she shouldn’t have allowed herself to get in this far.  Now that she was here though, and she knew without a doubt it wasn’t unwanted on D’s part, she wasn’t ready to give up.  “I… I understand D.  Do you really think, with me coming from where I do, that I even have the right to ask something like that from anyone here?  Much less you, who I know has something you are bound to chase until you succeed?”  She felt him pull away slightly again at her vague mention of her knowledge, but she only twined her fingers together and pushed forward.  “I cannot, and will not, ask for more than this moment.  This life I have found myself in is unpredictable at best.  That is all the more reason to grasp moments like this even tighter.  If these moments are all I am allowed, then I want to grab on and not let go until I have to.  Please don’t deny this because I know you want it too.  I am not asking for anything more.”

She wasn’t sure if her words held any meaning or sway over the hunter as she watched his face show several emotions in quick succession.  She was awed by that alone but when his arm went back around her waist and pulled her in, she couldn’t keep the feeling of joy from radiating out.

This time, when their lips met, the passion between them was not held back.  D explored every inch of her mouth, while Leigh gave as good as she got.  Her hands had started roaming across the planes of his chest, trying unsuccessfully to find purchase or a way under his top and to his skin.

D’s hands were roaming as well.  They gripped her waist before both slid up her bare skin to rest just under her breasts.  When the thumb of his right hand trailed across the underside of her breast to then flick across her nipple, Leigh couldn’t help pulling back slightly when a husky moan escaped her.  Her head fell back slightly again, prompting D to trail hot kisses across her collarbone and up to her neck.  When he reached the sensitive skin there, he paused momentarily again but Leigh didn’t give him the chance to pull back.  She grabbed his neck while moving against him slightly.  Her voice was lost for the moment, but her body had no trouble telling him, in no uncertain terms, that she didn’t want him to stop.

She realized he might actually need a moment to come to grips with his own desires when she felt the scrape of his fangs against her sensitized skin. She stilled slightly but didn’t let him go.  She was able to find her voice enough to turn slightly and whisper in his ear.  “I… I trust you.”  She had almost said something else but caught the wayward words and pushed them back.  She hoped he didn’t notice her hesitation and was gratified to see that her words seemed to be all he needed.  She could tell his fangs hadn’t retreated but the slight scrape of them as his lips moved across her shoulder was all she felt.

At that moment he pulled back and looked at her fully.  She took in his face, with his elongated canines and glowing eyes, but she refused to look away.  Instead she reached up and brushed her thumb along his lower lip.  The action had his eyes widening.  “Are you truly not afraid of me?”

The question was low, causing Leigh to give him a somewhat sad smile.  “No, you have never given me a reason to be.”  She didn’t give him the chance to respond after that.  Instead she leaned forward and reached to press her lips against his gently.  She was conscious of his fangs, but she didn’t let that stop her from trying to convey to him everything she couldn’t say.

His reluctance finally faded.  It became clear that he was done trying to resist his own desires when he stood with her in his arms, only to turn and lay her gently on the bed.  His body partially covered hers as he settled himself above her.  Most of his weight was still held up by his left arm but Leigh didn’t notice.  Now that they were both prone she had a better range of movement and allowed her hands to roam, trying to find access to his skin underneath his form fitting outfit.  When she found none, she contented herself with running her hands up his neck and along the shell of one slightly pointed ear.

D moaned slightly at her touch to his sensitive ear, the sound completely fascinated Leigh, causing her to run her fingers lightly across the other one as well.  He gave her a look that almost seemed tortured when he grabbed both her hands to still them.  When he pinned her hands to her side, his mouth moved down her collar bone and further still.  When he finally moved to cover one breast Leigh forgot everything else but what she was feeling.  There was a tug as he pulled more of it into his mouth, his still elongated fangs slightly scraping the sensitive tip.  She was writhing to break his grip before he moved on to the other to give it the same treatment.

When he finally did let go it was to stand.  Leigh started to protest until she realized it was so that he could remove his own clothes.  She watched in fascination as he removed his top.  When everything else followed she allowed her eyes to rove over his body.  She already knew he would be the most beautiful thing that she had ever laid eyes on but seeing it in person was almost transcendent.  She couldn’t believe she was right here watching this, participating in this.  The thought had tears pricking in the corner of her eyes.  She didn’t have a chance to do more than smile at him though before he settled back onto the bed.

She was happy that she now had unfettered access to his skin and showed it by letting her hands move across every part of him she could reach.  She ran her nails lightly across his chest as he moved to kiss her again.  When she was nearly lightheaded he pulled away.  His kisses then trailed lower again, traveling the valley between her breasts as his fingers rolled one of her nipples until it was so hard it was almost painful.

He stopped at her belly button and ran his tongue around it before letting his kisses trail even lower.  When he reached the edge of her most sensitive area, he looked up to gauge her reaction.  She was already lost in the feel of what he had been doing.  The look in his eyes only served to fan the flames that were consuming her.  Her hands that had been tangled in the sheets moved to run her nails across his scalp.  At that motion he closed the last of the distance to her core.  At the first touch of his hot tongue on the sensitive bundle of nerves at her center, her hands tangled in his hair.  She didn’t want to break contact with him, even when his ministrations had her writhing in pleasure.  Her brain was lost to any thoughts besides the man next to her.

The fog around her thoughts made it to where she barely noticed when he moved up her body again, his thighs had moved to between hers and he was kneeling slightly.  He was giving her a serious look.  It took her a moment to realize he had paused again.  She gave him a disappointed look that only lasted until he spoke.  “I need to know if this is… if you will be hurt?”

Leigh couldn’t understand what he was trying to say at first.  It took some effort to make the logical side of her brain work again.  When she realized what he was asking her face blazed red.  It was an embarrassing question and there was a small part of her that wished she could just ignore him, the rest of her was amazed at how sweet he could be.  She knew he only asked out of worry.  Despite her embarrassment she managed to answer finally.  “No, you will not hurt me.  Can we please table the rest of this discussion for later?”

It was almost enough to bring her back down to reality, but her embarrassment faded as soon as he kissed her again.  She felt him settle against her and the hot feel of him against her made all other thoughts disappear.  She was breathless when he pulled back again.  He looked into her eyes once again before he shifted to line up with her.  He entered her so achingly slow that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream in frustration or pleasure.  He paused and watched her as she adjusted to the feel of him, before he pulled away and then entered her again, just as slowly.  This time she pulled him in for a passionate kiss.  When she released him, she was barely able to speak.  “I’m not as fragile as that.  Please don’t tease me.”

At her words he moved again, still slow at first, but once he felt her respond by moving with him, he finally picked up the pace.  Even with that she could tell he was holding back.  She understood that he probably didn’t want to hurt her, but the pace was driving her mad.  She pushed against him until he gave her a confused look.  As she pushed again, he realized she wanted him to flip over.  He rolled over but held on to her, so they rolled together.

Her breath caught when she sat up and he filled her even more than he had previously.  Once she was used to the feel of him, she started to move against him.  She moved faster as he started to move with her.  His hands gripped her hips as her hands clenched against his chest.  It wasn’t long until each breath came out as a pant.  She was lost in the feel of him beneath her.

When she felt a rumble beneath her hands, she opened her eyes to see his reddened slightly.  She barely had time to recognize that fact before he flipped her back over.  He immediately started to move in her, and this time he didn’t bother going slow.  He was as consumed by desire as she was.  She could barely keep up with him as he moved.  It wasn’t long until she felt a spring start to coil inside as she felt she was about to burst into flames.  When she felt it finally release, her back arched as she screamed out incoherently. 

At the feel of her falling apart under him, he found himself quickly following her.  She could feel him rumble as his release joined hers.  The feel of it against her palms nearly sent her over the edge again.

It took them both several moments to finally catch their breath.  When they did, he moved to lie next to her.  He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head as she nestled next to him.  She was still lost in the euphoria as she realized she had never felt a joy so complete.


	22. Chapter 22

## Chapter 22

Leigh awoke feeling more content than she had in months, ever since her arrival in this strange era.  When her brain finally shook off the last of the sleep clouding her mind she noticed she was lying on a warm shoulder with an arm wrapped firmly around her waist.  One if her legs was thrown across D’s thigh and there was very little room between them.  She wasn’t sure if he was actually sleeping but didn’t plan on moving until he stirred.

She lay there for a few moments with her eyes closed, thinking about how she got here in the first place.  Her face blushed lightly as she remembered them making love for most of the day before she finally succumbed to sleep.  She also remembered the fact that her shields had failed her completely at several points through the day.  She now knew that D cared for her.  This was not just a matter of attraction or convenience.  She also knew it didn’t matter in the slightest.  The outcome would remain the same.  She had a life to get back to if she could, and he had a quest to finish.  The thought almost made her want to cry but she held it back and focused instead on what she had in her arms at the moment.  The future was an unknown and there was no point in grieving before she had to.

With a slight sigh she finally opened her eyes.  The expanse of D’s chest took up most of her field of vision.  She stayed as still as she could, not wanting to break the spell over them just yet.  She contented herself with exploring him with her eyes while she could.  Her resolve to not move was broken when she looked to the left side of his chest.  She expected a nasty scar there, but the skin was whole and smooth.  Without thinking about it she traced her fingers over the spot where he would have been staked.  She had no real way of knowing if it just hadn’t happened yet or if his amazing healing kept his skin from scarring.  It was then that she noticed fine silver lines that traced across his chest and abdomen.  There were scars but not the ones she expected to find.  She knew it wasn’t conclusive, but she had a better idea of what part of his timeline she had arrived in. 

Much to her dismay her movement worked as a catalyst.  D didn’t let go of her waist but rolled over to face her.  His hand came up and brushed her hair back, to better see her face.  His expression didn’t give away anything that he was thinking but his embrace was gentle.  When he finally spoke, it wasn’t what Leigh was expecting.  “Were you looking for something in particular?”

It took her a moment before she realized he caught onto the fact she was tracing his scars.  She didn’t want to tell him what she had been looking for if it hadn’t happened yet, so she was at a loss for how to explain.  She didn’t want to lie to him either, so she finally settled on part of the truth.  “Yes, but it was nothing of importance.”

He raised an eyebrow at her response.  “Not important?”

“No, not really.” She knew she couldn’t tell him he was probably going to be staked at some point in his future.

Her thoughts on the matter were interrupted by his voice again.  “You felt me, yesterday didn’t you?”

His apparent change of subject had her floundering for a moment before she realized he was talking about his feelings.  He must have thought that was why she was tracing over the area above his heart.  She wished she could ignore him but looked him in the eye before she answered.  “Yes.  I tried to block it all out but when… when I was… um… totally otherwise occupied, my shields went down.”  She knew she was blushing but quit trying to hide it.

He didn’t say anything, he only looked into her eyes for such a long time that Leigh had to break the silence.  “D, it doesn’t change anything, and I know it.  I care about you too.  I can’t lie to you about it, but it doesn’t change the fact that our lives cannot stay on the same path.”

She thought his eyes narrowed for a split second, showing a slight sorrow, before his face cleared again.  She didn’t have to lower her shields to know that he didn’t like the idea any more than she did, but it couldn’t be changed.  Instead of responding he placed a sweet kiss on her forehead before untangling himself to get up and dressed.

Leigh didn’t move until she was sure she could face him without crying.  By the time she was dressed he already had everything packed and ready to go.  “There was still much to go through when I left the compound.  I need to go back but I want you to go with me.”

Leigh hadn’t even thought about their next steps yet, her mind still too preoccupied.  His words had Leigh frowning.  There was something else she needed to tell him, but it took her a minute to remember what it was.  “Oh!  Actually, I think I may have found something here.”

He turned to her with a slightly confused look.  “Here, in this village?”

“Yes, I was looking for something to do after you left and asked about a library.  Apparently, the only one in town is the Mayor’s personal library.  He agreed to let me go through it and I found a book that was written in French.  I wasn’t able to translate it before I was interrupted but it had a picture of the pendant.”  Remembering the Mayor had her wondering if she could put up with him again.  She knew it was their best bet though.

His look was contemplative before questioning her further.  “Why would a frontier town Mayor have something like that?”

“He said it was a family heirloom.  Apparently, it was given to his family a millennium ago.  Unless he was lying about it, no one can translate it either.  I have a basic knowledge of French and might be able to translate some of it.  It’s worth looking into.”

It was at that point a gruff voice interjected into the conversation.  “The Mayor, was he human?”

Leigh thought about the question before finally responding.  “I don’t think he was entirely human, but I can’t say what he was.  He felt weird.”

It was after she had answered that she realized it had been Lefty that had asked.  This was the first time since before D had left that she had really thought about the symbiote.  When she remembered that he was always with D, no matter what, her face blazed.

She scowled at D’s left hand when her bright face elicited a bout of cackling.  It was brought to a halt when D squeezed his fist shut.  Leigh could still hear his voice though between fits of laughter.  “Don’t worry.  I will admit I’m a pervert but even I know when to occupy myself elsewhere.”  His admission didn’t help to relieve her embarrassment though.

Leigh was thankful when D changed the subject.  “How difficult do you think it would be for us to get back in to talk to the Mayor?”

“I don’t know.  He was… well let’s just say he was happy to have my company, but I don’t know how he would feel if I weren’t alone.  I’d rather not try to go alone though if I don’t have to.”  Leigh couldn’t hold back her shudder when she thought about how violating his feelings had been.

She was surprised when D wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her into an embrace.  “What did he do?”

When she realized he was being protective she pushed back and smiled up at him.  “He didn’t do anything.  It was what he was thinking.  He had the slimiest thoughts I’ve ever felt.  I’m just glad he didn’t act on them.”

Her words didn’t seem to make a difference in the look he was giving her.  “I will go speak with him.”

She just shook her head before retorting.  “I don’t think that would work as well.  I’m sure you could go retrieve it without breaking a sweat but if we can get it with permission it would make things a lot smoother.”

He gave her one last unreadable look before letting go.  “I will be going with you.  If things do not work out I will take care of it.”

“Fine, I hoped you would anyway.  If we’re decided, let’s get going.”

She started towards the door only to be stopped by D once again.  “You can’t walk around town like that.  If anyone sees it, they will cause trouble.”

It took Leigh a moment to realize what D was talking about.  When she did, her hand flew up to cover her neck.  She had almost forgotten about it with everything that had happened the day before.  Thinking about it now made her want to cry.  She could only imagine what it meant for her future, to be bitten by _him_ , and none of the thoughts were good.  Her only ray of hope was that he left without her.  She still wasn’t sure why, but she wasn’t sad it had happened that way.

Her thoughts were interrupted by D placing her cloak over her shoulders.  She didn’t wear it all the time, but it did cover her neck well enough.  She would just have to be careful how she moved so it wouldn’t be exposed.  She was only slightly worried how the Mayor would take it if she didn’t remove it once she was inside.  Pushing her morbid thoughts aside she looked back over at D.  “Thank you.  I hadn’t thought of that.”

He gave her a nod before opening the door.  “Let’s go see if we can retrieve that book.”

She had no trouble retracing her steps back to the park in front of the Mayor’s house.  Before they arrived at the gates though she put a hand on D’s arm to stop him.  “I am not sure if he will be willing to let us have that book.  If he isn’t, should I show him the pendant?”

D’s answer was swift and short.  “No.  We may use that as a last resort but the fewer people that see it the better.”

She only nodded before continuing on.  She still had no idea how she was going to convince him and hoped she figured it out before she faced him.  When they reached the gates, Leigh spotted an intercom of sorts.  It didn’t take her long to figure out how to use it and rang up to the house.  Leigh recognized the voice that answered as one of the men that had escorted her over the first time.  “Do you have an appointment?”

Leigh almost stalled at his request but managed to push forward through her nervousness.  “No, but I was just here the day before yesterday and Mayor Ardelean said I was welcome back any time.  I had something I wanted to ask him about.  Can I speak with him?”

There was a pause before the voice came back.  “You have permission.  Please come up to the house.”

“Thank you!”  Leigh was relieved they weren’t turned away.  As soon as the gates opened they were down the walkway to the house.  At the front door they were greeted by the same butler that had served her when she was here the last time.  Leigh gave him a smile when he opened the door.  His expression didn’t change, even when his gaze took in the fact that she was with a companion this time.  He turned and asked that they follow.

He took them both to the same sitting room where she had first been greeted, leaving them alone to presumably go fetch his master.  After he left Leigh milled around nervously.  She had no idea how to make him let her see the book other than just outright asking.  She had never been one for successful sneaking.  She jumped when the door finally opened, just barely keeping in a surprised yell.

She turned to find the Mayor walking into the room with the same oily smile as the last time she saw him.  His feelings still oozed the same want that made her skin crawl.  She was surprised when D moved to her side, drawing the Mayor’s attention.  She had thought he might be upset when he found she had brought a companion this time but to her chagrin and disgust, his feelings only became more tangled and lustful.  She was so glad she couldn’t read his thoughts in that moment.

She barely contained her surprise when D put his hand on her waist in a very obvious display of possessiveness.  She couldn’t stop the slight blush it caused and was only happy that it finally brought the lascivious feeling down a notch.  She was concerned when they turned to slight suspicion and jumped in to try and ask what she came here for before things got out of hand.  “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice!”

She was relieved when his smile picked back up the notch it had dropped at D’s display.  “I did say you were welcome back at any time.  Who have you brought with you today?”

“Oh… ah, this is my traveling companion.  He had things to do in this part of the frontier, which is why I was here in the first place.”  She didn’t want to say his name.  She was sure there was only a slim possibility that his name wasn’t at least known from rumors.  

She wanted to cringe when the Mayor asked anyway.  His smile was somewhat strained by now.  “And does your companion have a name?”

She was saved from answering when D spoke up.  “You can call me D”

Leigh was unsurprised when the Mayor’s gaze turned a little hard.  “D?  As in the Vampire Hunter D?  What has you in our section of the Frontier?  And more importantly, I had heard you were quite the loner.  What has you traveling with your pretty companion here?”

She couldn’t help but be relieved at D’s response.  Even if it didn’t help their position with the Mayor.  “You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.  Even for people like me it isn’t impossible to find others worth traveling with.”

Leigh couldn’t help the slight blush at his words but jumped in at that point to try and divert the conversation before it completely derailed.  “I apologize if this is an inconvenience, but I actually wanted to talk to you about one of the books I found in your library.  The one you said was an heirloom.  You see, it kept bothering me as I thought I recognized the language.  I know you said no one knows it but I might have some insight.  I was just hoping to get another look at it if that would be possible?”

The Mayor’s face turned contemplative before looking back up.  Leigh could tell what he was going to say before he said it by the change in his feelings but was still happy he wasn’t going to turn them away.  “If you could provide even the slightest insight it could prove interesting.  I’ll let you look into it if you tell me everything you find.  It can’t leave the estate though.  How long do you think you will need to look into it?”

Leigh was so giddy with relief that he was going to allow it without a fight that she almost missed his last question.  When she finally understood it, she couldn’t help but smile at him.  “It could take a few days, but it shouldn’t take long.”

“Understood.  Well, I will allow Rupert to escort you.  Please do let me know what you find, and as before, if you require anything please ask him, he should be close by.”  He gave them a slight bow before walking back out the door, presumably back to his job.  Rupert, it turned out, was the name of the quiet butler.  He led them back into the large library and left them in silence when the door closed.

Once his footsteps faded D turned to Leigh, a contemplative look on his face.  “You were correct.  He isn’t entirely human.  He also has the blood of the Nobility in his veins.  Judging by how weak it is though, it had to have been several generations in the past.”

Leigh couldn’t hold back her gasp of surprise.  It was starting to make sense now though.  “So, his claim that this book was given to his ancestor could be valid?  If so, then there is a higher probability that we could really find something useful.”

D only gave her a nod.  As bittersweet as the thought of going home had now become, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit of excitement.  They might finally get to the bottom of this mystery.

It only took her a few moments to locate the book back on the shelf she had originally found it and get to work on it.  She had only had it open for a few minutes, D reading over her shoulder, before she jumped up and rang the bell for Rupert.  She couldn’t contain her excitement when he entered the room.  “Rupert, would it be possible for you to bring me paper and something to write with?  It would be much easier to translate if I could write down the passages I can figure out.”

“Of course, ma’am.  I will be back shortly.”  He bowed out of the doors before returning only a few minutes later.

“Thank you!”  Leigh was nearly jumping in her excitement now.  Once Rupert was gone again Leigh set to work immediately.  The first thing she wrote down was the title. 

Her concentration was broken almost immediately when D spoke from where he was standing behind her.  “The History of the Sacred and Unholy?  Is that the title?”

“Oh!  Yes, I mean the last word could also be ungodly, or impure but the gist is the same.”  Leigh had looked back at him at his question, but his face was unreadable.  As for her own thoughts, the title brought back memories of another similar title and she wondered if they might be related somehow.  The idea was tenuous at best, so she tried not to get too worked up about it.

D hadn’t moved or said anything for a minute.  When he finally moved to sit across from her she barely heard his murmured comments.  “I would like to say that doesn’t make sense but with _him_ involved that isn’t the case.”  When he finally sat down he looked back to her.  “Will it really take you several days to translate this book?”

Leigh was a little embarrassed to reveal her lack of knowledge, but she couldn’t lie about it.  “Well I had high school French, and I did pretty good, but I don’t use it often so I’m rusty at best.  I can probably translate enough to get some of the rest by context, but I doubt I could translate the whole thing.”  He nodded his understanding, already lost in his own thoughts.  Since he didn’t reply back again Leigh set in to the laborious task of translation.


	23. Chapter 23

## Chapter 23

Leigh had started trying to translate the words around the picture of the pendant but soon found that without some contextual clues the text made little sense.  After spending half the day working through the book that way she decided it might be better to just start at the beginning.  The book was only about a hundred pages and with her small, cramped handwriting she was able to write out the first thirty or so pages along with the easy translations she could figure out written underneath each line.  In that way she could focus on figuring out more on a second pass later.

By the end of the day she hadn’t made as much progress as she would have liked but she was confidant that with her new system the next day would be easier.  She was thankful that the Mayor didn’t bother them other than one visit to see how she was doing.  She was glad to find that his normally oily feel was tempered somewhat by his excitement.  Even though she had very little translated he was happy to see that she had made any progress at all.  His compliments became even more flowery before D stepped in again.  Leigh could tell the Mayor wasn’t happy about being interrupted but his smile never faded.  She suppressed a shudder as she reminded herself they only had to put up with him for a short while, until they got what they needed and then they could put him and his strange feelings far behind them.

When her eyes became so tired she was having a hard time focusing on the tiny words she had written she decided it was time to call it a day.  She was surprised to find that when they walked out it was already dark.  Seeing the night sky, Leigh was struck by how tired she actually was.  When D led her to the restaurant instead of the hotel she realized she was hungry.  Her exhaustion had crowded that fact out until she smelled the appetizing scents coming from inside the building.  It didn’t stop her from being glad the meal was quiet and quick though.  Once they finished they headed back to their shared room.

Leigh was on auto-pilot as she headed to the shower to get ready for bed.  When she stepped out, towel drying her hair, she was surprised to see D already reclining on the bed.  She paused for a moment as she realized this was the most relaxed she had ever seen him, besides that morning.  Her hands stilled as she stared for almost a minute.  Her reverie was broken by D’s voice.  “Are you coming to bed?”

She jumped at his words as she hadn’t known he saw she was watching.  She realized it shouldn’t have been so surprising right before his words registered.  When they finally did her face flushed before she could stutter out a reply.  “Yeah, I’ll be right there.”  She couldn’t help the way her heart jumped at those simple words.

It didn’t take her long to finish drying her hair enough for it to no longer be dripping.  She could feel her face heating as she crawled into bed next to him.  Her embarrassment was erased when he reached out to pull her close.  It was replaced by a feeling so warm she didn’t want to let it go.

* * *

 

The next day found them back at the Mayor’s house early.  That morning Leigh focused entirely on transcribing everything that was written.  It served two purposes.  First, it would allow her to fill in the translations beneath each sentence that she could easily identify like she had been doing the day before.  Secondly, having a copy she could take with her when they had to leave would be nice.  She was positive their host would want to keep the translations, so she was doing double work to make sure she had copies as well.

It was midday when D stood.  He hadn’t wanted to leave her alone but there was something he needed to get taken care of.  He had already put it off longer than he should have.  Leaving her with their host made him nervous but the man hadn’t acted on any of the looks he had been sending Leigh yet.  Getting this done would make things easier for her anyway.

   Leigh was so concentrated on the pages she was bent over that she didn’t see him stand.  When he placed a hand on her shoulder it caused her to jump, smearing the word she was writing.  She stifled a curse before looking back over her shoulder.

“I need to go take care of something, but I won’t be gone long.”  Leigh didn’t bother asking what he needed.  She just gave him a nod before turning back to the page to see if she could fix the smear without rewriting the whole page.  She had managed to finish transcribing the book that morning and was now going through and putting in the easy translations.  It didn’t take her long to get lost in her work once again.

She wasn’t sure how long it had been since D left before she felt a hand on her shoulder again.  This time she cursed out loud when she turned to find Mayor Ardelean standing very close to her.  She kicked herself for not paying closer attention to her surroundings before standing up to face him.

He hadn’t left her very much room to maneuver, having stepped close behind her before she stood.  His oily feelings were making her nauseous as she tried to see a way to get out from between him and the table.  Before she could move she was halted by him leaning close to her before looking around her side to the papers she had scattered across the table.  “You seem to be making wonderful progress.  I must admit that I had not anticipated a lovely mind to go along with such a lovely face.”

Leigh wanted to scream at him to back off, but she managed to bite her tongue long enough to formulate a civil reply, or somewhat civil anyway.  “I’m sure you meant that as a compliment, so I will accept it as such.  However, you should never judge a person by looks alone or you’re bound to be disappointed.”

He didn’t move at her response.  He only smiled down at her before reaching out to grab a curl that was hanging near her face.  He pulled it straight only to let it spring back up again before he finally responded.  “Oh, I don’t think you’re disappointing at all.”

His smile turned almost predatory before he changed the subject.  “I spoke with Max today, the innkeeper, and he had something very interesting to tell me.  He let me know the reason you didn’t come back right away was because you were ill.  Is that true?”

Leigh couldn’t help the confusion, especially with him so close.  “Ah, yeah.  I was sick the other day.  I apologize if you were expecting me.”

He didn’t respond to her apology right away.  When he did, Leigh could feel her palms start to sweat.  “No need to apologize.  He also said that you ended up spending most of the day in the room with your hunter companion.”

Leigh couldn’t help her blush.  She couldn’t believe her time alone with D had been monitored and it was evident from the look on the Mayor’s face that he had a pretty good idea of what had happened.  “Well, yes… he has been helping me.”  She knew her answer lacked substance, but it wasn’t the creepy man’s business what she did with her time anyway.

Much to Leigh’s disgust this didn’t seem to faze the Mayor at all.  He only stood staring at her for another moment before he moved quickly and pinned her against the table.  He had both her hands in one of his own, using her own body to help him keep them trapped behind her back and against the table.  Leigh screamed and flailed against him, but he was both larger and stronger.  Her screaming didn’t faze him at all.

Her cries gurgled out when he roughly grabbed the edge of her cloak and pulled it down.  His eyes immediately went to the two small holes on her neck; his look was completely unsurprised.  Her heart sank as she realized he had been expecting them, but it froze at his words.  “You didn’t have these when you first came to meet me but all of a sudden after your companion returns you are doing everything you can to hide your pretty neck.  Did you enjoy letting him have all of you?”

Leigh’s heart clenched as she realized what the man was implying.  “D would never do that!  He has way too much self-control!”

The man didn’t seem bothered by her outburst, only leaning in further until she could feel his breath on her face.  “I should have my men find him and stake him while he’s distracted.  I hate to leave you to such a horrible fate”

“No!” Leigh’s scream would have had most people’s ears ringing.  If it bothered the Mayor though, he didn’t show it.

When her cry quit echoing he leaned down until his mouth was almost touching her neck, right above her wounds.  “I could be convinced to let him leave the city unharmed if you convince him to leave now and tell him you agree to stay.”  After his words washed over her skin so did his mouth, causing Leigh to shudder uncontrollably.  Her vision faded to black around the edges before she was able to pull herself together well enough to fight back again. 

She thrashed against him as hard as she could, finally managing to loosen one of her hands.  Once it was free she tried to punch him, or at least distract him, so he would get off her.  He was faster than she anticipated though and grabbed her arm roughly.  Once her hand was pinned again he leered at her before ducking his head to hover over the hollow of her throat.  “I can be rough if that is what you would prefer.”  He bit down on the junction of her shoulder and neck, hard, causing her to scream out again.  He wasn’t able to do more than break the skin, but she could feel it bruising already.  When he finally let go he leaned up enough to smirk down into her face.  “Was that not good enough?  I can try again.”

By this time Leigh couldn’t hold back the tears she had been fighting.  She was so close to giving up but when he leaned down once more she jerked her head forward in a desperate attempt to make him let her go.  When her head actually connected with his face she was stunned.  She didn’t immediately see what she had done, all she knew was that he staggered back and away from her.  She shot up and tried to run for the door but was nearly jerked off her feet when he grabbed a handful of her hair.

She wasn’t given a chance to get her feet back under her before he twisted his hand in her hair and forced her head back to face him.  She barely saw his blood streak face through her tears, but she could tell he was done toying with her.  When the back of his hand connected with her cheek her vision was filled with bright lights, blinding her to the room with a wave of dizziness following right after.  She couldn’t manage to hold herself up anymore and felt her knees give out.  She screamed when she was brought up short by his hand still tangled in her hair as that was now the only thing keeping her off the ground.

She struggled against his grip, trying to get back on her feet before he attacked her again.  Before she could manage though, she collapsed to the floor when his grip went slack.  When she was finally able to untangle his hand from her hair she fell back with a scream.  His headless body was lying in a growing pool of blood directly in front of her.  She almost fainted at the sight before a hand on her shoulder caused her to scream and jerk around to face her new attacker.  When she saw it was D, the scene finally made sense.  She collapsed with relief, but D caught her before she hit the ground and had her up in his arms before her sobs finally broke.

Leigh didn’t know how much time had passed before she finally managed to calm enough to deal with the situation.  She looked up at D to see him still looking over at the body of the man in the floor.  She could see his eyes still had a tinge of red.  Now that the situation was fully hitting her, she knew they needed to leave quickly.  “D?”  Her voice was quiet, but his head whipped back to take in her face.  She could see the tightness in his jaw and felt the rumble in his chest when he saw her face.  She could only imagine what state it was in.  Judging by how badly it hurt she would bet it was already turning a nasty shade of purple.

“I’m okay now, but we need to leave as quickly as possible.”  She couldn’t help it when her gaze was drawn back to the headless body in the floor.  The sight of it made her stomach turn.  She understood logically why it happened and wasn’t upset that D had saved her but seeing death so close was nerve wracking.  Her gaze was pulled back to her companion when he finally moved to put her down. 

She could still see the muscle in his jaw working.  “Gather up the things you need.”  He didn’t waste any words before turning to start picking up anything she had left on the table. 

Leigh could already feel her body start to stiffen from her ordeal but moved to gather up her notes as quickly as she could.  Some of the pages had been pushed to the floor during the fight so she bent to gather up all the ones that weren’t covered in blood.  Those she refused to touch.  When she stood she only deliberated for a moment before deciding to go ahead and take the book as well.  The Mayor definitely didn’t need it anymore.  She looked around one last time to make sure nothing was missed before turning back to D.

He wordlessly handed her the pages he had gathered before scooping her up.  “Hold on tight.”  Leigh didn’t ask any questions, just buried her face into his chest with one arm grasping him as tightly as she could.  She could feel the wind rushing around her, but she wasn’t jostled at all.  As they left the horrors behind Leigh vaguely wondered if the rest of the household had been spared.  Hopefully if they hadn’t stood up to D they were all still fine.  Her thoughts were interrupted when D stopped and lifted her up onto the saddle of one of their horses. 

She couldn’t believe they were already in front of the hotel.  Her thoughts were scattered when D spoke again.  “Head for the exit of the city and don’t stop for anyone.  Don’t run unless you’re approached.  I’ll be with you shortly.”

Leigh had a slight panic attack when he told her she was going to be on her own, but she managed to push it back enough to give him a firm nod.  She only took long enough to shove everything she had in her arms into one of the bags on the saddle before turning the horse to where they had come in.  As she rode through town this time it was much different than any time before.  No one approached her, but she could feel the fear rolling off anyone that laid eyes on her.  She wasn’t sure if it was the sight of her face or something else.  She ignored it all and kept the horse at a steady pace.

She had made it about halfway out of the city when D finally caught back up.  He had all of the things that had been left behind in the room.  He called out lowly when he drew up next to her.  “Follow me closely.”  She nodded back to him to let him know she heard.  At her nod he kicked his horse into a canter with Leigh right on his heels.  When they approached the outskirts of the city Leigh couldn’t help but feel apprehension choking her.  D never slowed when they approached the guards though, so Leigh followed suit.  Several of the guards looked up in surprise when they flew past, but none of them moved to stop them.

As soon as they cleared the city D kicked his horse into a gallop.  Leigh lost track of the amount of time they ran.  She didn’t bother to note the direction either.  Now that they were out of the city all of the events that just passed finally crowded back into her mind.  Her adrenaline and fear had kept her going up to this point but now that the worst of the danger was gone she could feel her shell starting to crack.  She tried to keep it in but her shell finally broke and she couldn’t control the wrenching sobs.

When D heard the first sob, seeming to rip from somewhere deep inside Leigh, he immediately stopped.  He could tell that she barely noticed when he took her out of her own saddle and settled her across his lap.  She curled into his chest and continued to cry.  He held her securely with one arm while handling the reins with the other.  They were moving again quickly but at a slower pace.

Neither paid any attention to how long she cried against him but eventually her cries settled to sniffles and then faded away completely.  When she finally stilled completely D realized she had cried herself into exhaustion and had fallen asleep.  His free hand came up and brushed the hair off her face as he looked down at her.  He couldn’t completely contain the rage that coursed through him again when he saw the lurid bruises that now covered nearly half her face.  He had noticed her squeamishness at the sight of the man’s body, but he did not regret his actions.  He had very few regrets up to this point in his life but as he looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms he realized he now had one that would be hard to move passed.

His thoughts were interrupted by a gruff voice cutting through the night.  “I never thought I’d see the day.  You know you still have to let her go.  She has a life to get back to.”  There was no response from the hunter, so his companion continued.  “I know I’ve told you to loosen up and not push everyone away, but I didn’t expect you to go and fall…”

Whatever else the symbiote had been about to say it was cut off by D’s clenched fist and his cold voice.  “Shut up.”

It didn’t stop Lefty for long.  “Fine, fine, you keep lying to yourself.  You think you regret it now, you won’t believe how much worse it can get if you hide from it.  What do I know anyway?”

“I said shut up!”  D’s voice had taken a hard tone, while cold eyes focused on the path in front of them.  They rode like that for some time before his gaze fell back to the woman in his arms.  His whisper came out like the wind.  “I can’t do that to her.”  If his companion heard it, he didn’t say anything.


	24. Chapter 24

## Chapter 24

D rode through the afternoon and into the night with Leigh curled up against him.  She had woken up at one point, but D didn’t move to allow her to get back onto her own horse and she wasn’t going to ask if he was alright with the arrangements.

It was sometime after darkness had fully fallen that Leigh noticed they were winding through towering piles of rubble.  She finally decided to speak up for the first time since her outburst.  “Are we… is this the complex you visited?”

“Yes, it has been cleared and, for now, I believe it will be the safest place until you can finish the task you started.”  Leigh was unsure if a vampire compound would really be the safest place, but she was sure D must have had a reason for that belief, so she didn’t push further.  She was already sore all over and wanted out of the saddle, even if she was in D’s lap.

D finally stopped in front of the largest pile she had seen yet.  He helped her down before heading up what seemed like a path.  She realized as they climbed through the rubble that he must have already cleared this path the last time he was here.  She was glad as it made it easier on her already screaming body.  As they finally made it to the darkened staircase into the interior, D placed a hand on her arm to keep her from falling.

Once they entered Leigh was made uncomfortable at the sight of the long room when it lit up at their presence.  It looked too much like the room she was kidnapped from for her to relax.  The only thing that kept her moving was the fact that D was by her side.  He led them to one of the doors along the wall.  It opened to a long hall filled with closed doors.  He didn’t go far down that hall before he picked a door to the right which opened up to a room that had probably been living quarters at one point.  It was a small room but there was a bed along with several other trappings you would find in a single person dorm.  She wasn’t sure if any of the facilities worked still, with the whole upper portion of the building being in ruins, but currently the only thing that mattered was the bed.  Even though she had slept for part of the afternoon, she felt exhausted.

D seemed to have understood her need without her having to ask.  He moved through the room quickly to presumably make sure there was nothing hidden before moving back to her side.  “You should sleep.  We can assess everything when you wake.”  As exhausted as Leigh was she was still touched by his apparent concern.  She gave him a quick hug that seemed to take him by surprise before thanking him and heading for the small bed.  She noted that he took up a position in a nearby chair but that was the last thing she noticed before falling asleep again.

* * *

 

When Leigh finally woke again she opened her eyes to see D still in the same spot he had been when she fell asleep.  She was going to reach out to him but was brought up short when she moved and most of her body protested violently.  His gaze was drawn to her when she couldn’t keep in a hiss as she sat up.  She noticed the look of concern he gave her when she moved, and she tried to reassure him.  “I’m just a little sore, I’ll be fine though.  Trust me, this is nothing compared to being kicked by a horse.”

He looked entirely unconvinced, only raising a brow at her attempt to make light of it.  “And you have been kicked by a horse?”

She hadn’t really thought he would dig into the correlation and blushed slightly at the memory.  “Yeah, when I was a kid, but I’d rather not go into it.”  She was glad the subject had been derailed, so she tried her best not to wince when she stood to keep him from worrying too much.

No matter how hard she tried to hide it, she was still stiff and moving slower than she normally would have.  Her muscles were sore, but more than that she could feel the multitude of bruises on her arms and face with every movement, not to mention her head ached.  He was at her side as soon as she was on her feet.  “If you feel up to it, we can go to one of the libraries.  I can see what I can find here while you finish the translation.”

She was glad that he wasn’t making a big deal out of her injuries.  The fact that he moved right into their plans made her feel a little better about slowing them down.  “That sounds like a plan.  Are there… is this place completely deserted?”

She was worried about her current status if they ran into problems.  It was a fear that was only slightly eased by his response.  “There were some automated defense systems in place when I came here the first time.  I have seen nothing now though.”

She only hoped that meant this place was relatively safe.  “Well, then let’s get started.”  She paused when she went to pick up the bag that held the work she had already started.  A thought occurred to her before they left the room.  “You said one of the libraries, how many are there?”

He was still staying close to her side so when he answered he glanced at her before turning to scan the halls once again.  “I have not fully explored this facility.  There were additions made after my time here.  I know of at least twenty rooms that would be considered libraries.”

Leigh stopped at that.  With as little security as they had run into she was not expecting that amount of data to be held here.  “If this was such an important facility, why is there so little security?”  She was also worried about managing to get through all that information to find something relevant, but she didn’t voice that concern. 

D finally stopped at her question.  He wasn’t sure if he should voice his opinion but decided she was as involved with this as he was and deserved the truth.  “I believe we are being allowed to be here by the original resident of this facility.”

His answer didn’t ease her worry at all.  If anything, it grew worse.  From what she had been told already and what she had seen, she could well guess who it originally belong to.  If he was okay with them being there enough to keep away, then what would they find?  The thought made her skin crawl.  “That isn’t exactly reassuring.  I… I’m not sure I will appreciate what we find if that is the case.”

D only gave her an appraising look before continuing on.  “You should focus on the translation.”

She knew he probably felt that he would handle anything that might arise, but she wasn’t thrilled with the idea that he continued to shoulder everything.  “I will, but I would be happy to assist with the research as well.”  He only gave her a nod as they finally arrived at the library they would be searching. 

The room was larger than Leigh had expected.  The walls were covered in filled bookshelves, floor to ceiling, the highest of which Leigh knew she would never be able to reach without a ladder.  There was a large table that dominated the middle of the room with several chairs around it.  She noted it was already covered with stacks of books.  She assumed this was where D had left off.  The size of the room was disheartening slightly.  If this was one of at least twenty then they had their work cut out for them, unless of course all their answers were in the little book with the picture of the pendant.

She pushed her worries aside for now and took a seat at a clear spot on the table, pulling out all the papers she had salvaged so she could find what needed to be redone.  Once she had them all laid out she found that there were only a handful of pages missing but they were scattered throughout.  Not to mention that with as small as her handwriting was it meant there was quite a bit that would need to be rewritten.  Even though she had the book on hand she found it was easier to remember words as she wrote them out as well as easier to make correlations when the words were right next to the translations.  With a sigh she decided there was no point in putting it off and dove back into transcribing.

She wasn’t sure how long it had been, but it must have been a few hours at least when she finally looked up again.  She was surprised to note there were many more books stacked randomly around the room and D was along the back wall looking for another.  She had paused because her vision was starting to blur.  She was sure that the swelling around one of her eyes wasn’t helping the situation.  When she stood she realized her muscles had stiffened as well.  She managed to keep from making a noise when she walked over to D, while she made a vow to herself that at least for the next day or two no matter how far along they were she would need to get up and walk around for a few minutes at least once an hour or so.  If she sat still like she had been her body was going to take much longer to heal.

He turned to glance at her when she reached his side.  “Is there a problem?”

She shook her head before looking at the book he was holding.  “No, I just needed to get up for a moment.  Have you found anything interesting?”

“Nothing that is relevant.”

She paused at his choice of wording and was about to ask if there was something interesting anyway but remembered where they were and decided she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see what ‘interesting’ could be in a place like this.  Her thoughts were interrupted by D’s next question.  “Are you hungry?”

Leigh hadn’t thought about it much as she had so many things on her mind.  When he asked though, she realized she couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten.  “I suppose I should eat something, it’s been a while.”  She didn’t particularly feel hungry, but she knew that was probably because of the stress of the last day.  There was also a pit in her stomach as she realized they were much closer to the possibility of separation.  She tried not to think about it, but she couldn’t deny it entirely.

“The bags are back in the room.” 

D had turned to put the book down and head to the door when Leigh stopped him.  “I can go get them.  I remember the way.”

D barely paused long enough to give her a stern look before opening the door for her.  “This place can still be dangerous.  You should not go anywhere alone.”

Leigh realized she hadn’t thought about the dangers that could still be lurking and decided he probably had a point.  She had learned how to handle some things during their travels but if something that couldn’t be killed by a shot from her pistol appeared she would be screwed if she was alone.  “I understand.  Let’s make this quick then.”

It didn’t take them long to go grab the bags and head back to the library.  Leigh only took long enough to grab a capsule before getting back to work.  D was already back at the bookshelf.

The rest of the day was spent in relative silence.  It was only broken by the occasional request for updates for either of them or when Leigh had to get up and walk around.  As the day progressed her soreness only increased but she was hopeful that the following day would be better.

She had managed to finish the missing transcriptions and was back at translating the missing pages when D interrupted.  “Why don’t you stop for the night.”

Leigh had to blink a couple of times when she looked back at him to be able to focus on his face properly.  She realized it must be late, even though she couldn’t see the sky, if her tiredness was anything to go by.  “That sounds like a good idea.”

When they were back in the room and she had settled to sleep she found her eyes were drawn to her companion.  He was in the same seat as the previous night but this time he had brought several books with him.  It looked as if he planned on reading through the night.  The thought of it made her heart ache.  She knew he didn’t need as much sleep as she did, but she hated seeing him push so hard all the time.  She spoke up before her brain had a chance to analyze her words.  “D, would you… would you hold me please?”

She had never been so forward with him, so it didn’t surprise her when he only looked at her with curiosity.  She could feel her face heat under his gaze but wasn’t going to rescind it now that she had already said it.  “At least for a little while.”

His gaze softened as he put the book he held down beside the chair and silently moved to the bed.  She made room for him, so he could lay down beside her.  She turned her back to him and he pulled her in against his chest.  She hadn’t realized how tense she had been until she felt his warmth radiating into her.  She felt so safe that it wasn’t long before she drifted off.

* * *

 

The next few days went by in much the same fashion.  She knew that when she asked D to sleep with her that he didn’t stay there all night.  Every time he brought books with him they were all gone through by the next day.  She only hoped he rested some during that time. 

The longer they stayed there the worse she felt like something was looming ahead.  She realized it could very well be that she was making good progress on the translations and the more she found the less she liked what she was seeing.  At least her bruising and soreness were finally starting to improve.

It was some time on the fourth day that she jumped up with an exclamation.  “Of course!  I understand what he meant now!  But…”

Her voice trailed off as a thought occurred to her.  Her train of thought was interrupted by D.  “Did you discover something?”

She nodded to him absently as her brain continued to whirl with the implications of what she had just discovered.  “Yeah.  I don’t have the whole thing translated but I figured out an important piece.  When He captured me, he said a lot of cryptic things but some of them make sense now.”

  D could tell that whatever she had found disturbed her.  “Can you explain it to me?”

She sat back down and paused before turning to look up at him.  “He told me that the pendant was actually a piece of his own heart.  I didn’t think he meant it literally but according to this that is exactly what it is, well in a manner of speaking.  It says he pulled out a piece of himself, his essence, and created the pendant to find something, or more precisely, someone.”  She paused at that.  This was the crux of her unease.  The book said the pendant was only supposed to work under specific circumstances, so what was it about her that meant she was the one it had summoned.

“You were the someone it pulled.  Does it explain why or for what purpose?”  D had sat beside her and was looking over at her translations before questioning her.

“Yes, I’ll try to summarize as best as I can.”  She pulled out several pieces of paper and laid them out side by side before turning back to him.  “The book states that the… the Sacred Ancestor found a piece of information on the future of the nobility and took steps to mitigate the damage caused by this.”  She paused at that.  She had already assumed they were dealing with the original Noble, but having it confirmed didn’t make her feel better.  If D noted her use of the descriptor, he didn’t say anything.

Leigh continued after she pulled her thoughts back in.  “He created the pendant as one of those steps.  It was made to pull a person directly to him at the time that his will most deemed it appropriate.  That person was supposed to be someone with the will and power to help him create a new race, a race that would spawn the new Nobility and keep the old from dying out.”

She had to stop at that point.  Thinking about what that meant for her, not just what was planned but who, or what, she might really be, caused her to shudder.  D allowed her to take a few calming breaths without interrupting her, so she was able to continue.  “From what this says, it was created even before my time and given to those that would best be able to determine someone worthy.  My guess is, the woman that sold it to me was the current ‘scout’, for lack of a better word.  There is no mention of it ever being used or whether or not it was successful, so I would guess this was written at the same time the pendant was made.  This has to be a copy of the original if that is the case.”

She stopped at that point.  She was trying to look at this objectively but was having a hard time separating the words in front of her from her own circumstances.  It gave her chills to know she had been intended for helping that man bring about a new age.  The fact that he had allowed her to roam free after his attack didn’t sooth her.  It chilled her to the bone to think that he might believe his plans were going to come to fruition in another way.

D could tell this was bothering her and could understand why.  From the little she had said so far, it was easy to see that she had been intended for a cruel fate.  He had no intention of allowing that to come to pass.  “You will not be subjected to any of that.  I will not leave you until we figure out how to reverse this and get you home.”  He was surprised that the look she gave him did not reflect relief, but continuing fear.

“I know you will do all in your power, but… why did he leave when he could have taken me this last time?  What… what is he planning?” 

Her words caused a brief moment of unease in the hunter, but he didn’t let it show.  “It doesn’t matter.  Our main objective should be to get you home.  Have you found anything about reversing the pull, so you can go back?”

She could only shake her head at his question.  “Not yet.  I think it is in here somewhere but a lot of what is written is allegorical.  The part about the pendant is a fairly small portion of what’s written.  There also seems to be a high-level history of the lives of vampires during the time before their rise to the Nobility.  It isn’t very enlightening though.  It reads as if it were aimed at someone that already knew the history and this was more of a reference to certain points, not an explanation of them.”  She had such a mix of emotions rolling through her at this point that she had to stop.

D put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  “You have gotten this far.  I am sure you will figure out what is needed.  I will be here if you need me.”

Leigh could only manage a half-hearted smile at his reassurance before turning back to the pages.  “I know.  Let me get back to this and see if I can figure out the rest.”

D was certain now that the book she held would provide the answers they needed but was becoming less and less sure that he wanted to know what they were.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't added my soundtrack for my previous chapters, but the one for this chapter and the next are particularly poignant. For this chapter I would recommend listening to 'She is the Sunlight' by Trading Yesterday. We are getting close to the end now so please enjoy.

## Chapter 25

It was another day and a half before Leigh was able to discern the whole truth, or enough of it to wish she hadn’t ever started looking into it.  When she pushed away from the table violently it drew D’s attention.  He was at her side immediately.  “What happened?”

She turned her wide-eyed stare to him, barely managing a whisper.  “I’m not wholly human.  I knew I was different but…”

D had already figured out that she was more than human, so her statement didn’t surprise him.  He could tell it bothered her though.  He could understand how finding something like that out suddenly could be a shock.  He would have her talk about it, but not now.  For now, he pulled her close.  She merely stood within his arms, not moving for several minutes.  Finally, the shock wore off and she clung to him.

Neither paid attention to how long they stood there but finally Leigh moved to pull back.  When she stood to face him, her eyes were still troubled, but she had accepted what she had found.  “I apologize… I just never expected anything like this.”  She also finally realized that he had not been surprised by her outburst.  “Did you already know?”

D reluctantly nodded.  “I have known for some time that you are more than human.  It isn’t something I have encountered before, and you didn’t seem to realize it, so I didn’t bring it up.”

Leigh turned and braced herself against the table for a moment before falling into her seat.  “Well I know now.  This gives details on what the pendant was supposed to summon.  It states that there were a handful of races almost as old as vampires and some of them were nearly as powerful.  The most powerful of them was the elementals.  There were never that many of them and they had nearly faded from history by the time this was written.  The only remnants of them were the ancestors they left behind.  They had merged with humanity to the point they became legend.  Those with the blood of an elemental are what the pendant targeted.  Even diluted the blood of an elemental was the only thing that could bring the pendant to life.”

She trailed off at that point, once again lost in her thoughts.  D watched her for a few minutes, knowing she was still trying to assimilate this knowledge.  Finally, he broke the silence.  “That explains why you were able to activate the pendant.  Does it also explain how to reactivate it for you to return?”

This time her eyes were filled with tears when she looked back at him.  He noticed she was fighting to not let them fall.  She blinked several times and cleared her throat before she spoke.  “Yes.”  Her voice still broke on that single word.  He watched as she swallowed several times and tried again.  “It states it is only a matter of will.  Since it chose me I have a certain amount of control, although it seems as if it will not be easy.”

D was shocked to hear it was as simple as willing herself home.  He realized in the next moment that there had to be more to it.  If it were that simple, he knew there had been several times she had been homesick enough to have triggered it.  “What else is involved?  I know it won’t be as easy as wishing yourself home.”

She nodded back to him.  “When I was pulled to this time it created… I guess you could call it a wormhole, or a gateway… something like that.  Anyway, that will stay open as long as I remain here.  The location I arrived is the only place I can go home.”

D found that he was torn at her words.  It would take them at least two months or more to get back to that castle.  On the other hand, he could admit to himself that he wasn’t entirely upset that he had two more months before he had to let her go.  It was at that point it truly hit him that his time with this woman was already counting down.  He had never expected to find someone like her and now that he had, he couldn’t help but question his goals.  He pushed those thoughts aside roughly as he also remembered she didn’t belong here.  His goal now was to get her safely home, to the people she obviously missed.  Those thoughts did not stop him from pulling her up and into another embrace.

After they finally pulled away from each other they decided it would be best for them to stay in the compound for the night and leave early the next day.  Leigh moved to gather everything up, but D stopped her.  “There is no point in taking that.  This is the best place for it now.”

Leigh looked around at everything she had worked so hard to complete before finally turning back to him with a nod.  It was appropriate for this to remain buried.  They wordlessly walked back to the room they had been sharing.  It was only late afternoon but that didn’t stop either of them.  Leigh turned to D and held out her hand.  They both understood their time together was soon to end.  No words passed between them as he took her hand before pulling her up into his arms.  He placed a gentle kiss on her lips before laying her onto the small bed they had been sharing.

* * *

 

The next day they were up early.  Leigh wasn’t sure if D had slept at all.  She knew she hadn’t slept well but she was grateful that every time she awoke he was there beside her.  His warm arms worked to keep her together, so she was able to not break down.

Leigh didn’t say anything when D moved to put all of their things across the saddle of her horse and helped her up onto his.  Once he was mounted behind her she didn’t hesitate to lean back just enough to feel his body against her own.  They traveled like that throughout the day.  Neither of them said much but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable.  Neither of them wanted to bring up what was coming, instead they focused on simply enjoying each other’s presence.

D made sure to give the town they had last stayed in a wide berth, putting them a little out of the way.  He wasn’t really pushing the horses either so when night fell they had not made as good of time as they had when they were coming.  If he was bothered by the slight loss of time, he never mentioned it and Leigh found she was in no mood to complain.

They passed two more days in the same way.  By the third day they had started talking more, mostly because Lefty hated leaving long silences undisturbed.  Leigh couldn’t help but be grateful to the carbuncle.  As much of a smartass as he was, he still managed to somehow make her smile.  She found herself silently thanking him for making these days fill with laughter.  She had a sneaking suspicion that he knew exactly what he was doing.  She resolved to make sure she gave him a proper thank you before she left.

The evening of the third day found them heading into a village they had not stopped at before.  Leigh turned back to look at D with a questioning look.  If he saw it though he didn’t say anything.  He moved the horse toward the center of town, stopping in front of an inn.  He helped her down before turning to get them a room.

Leigh knew they would need supplies for their return trip but didn’t think they needed them yet.  She wasn’t going to complain about a real bed though, especially since they had taken to sharing a bedroll.  She appreciated his warmth beside her each night but laying with him in a bed was completely different.  She couldn’t help but blush a little at her thoughts.  They had been together long enough that the thought of him lying next to her skin to skin shouldn’t make her feel like this, but she had a feeling they could spend ages together in that way and she would never not feel the rush of her feelings for him.

D noted her small smile and the blush that dusted her cheeks.  He had a good idea what caused it and just brushed her hair back off her face.  She turned to fully face him at the gesture, the smile growing as she looked at him.  His eyes roved over her face, taking the time to memorize the way it lit up when she looked at him.  He was glad to see the bruises had finally faded to nearly nothing.

She stood still allowing him to just stand there and look at her.  It seemed as if she knew what he was doing and took the chance to do the same.  When he felt satisfied that this moment was etched in his memory he leaned down to kiss her.  All of his movements were slow and deliberate.  He made sure to take his time, memorizing each spot that made her gasp, the feel of her skin beneath his fingers, the way she tasted.

Leigh wanted to cry at how gentle his touch was.  It conveyed so much more than words.  She understood though, her own touches were not tentative but every time she ran her fingers gently across his skin she sent out her feelings, knowing that he would understand what she couldn’t say.

Even though they were in a comfortable bed and not on the hard ground, it was late when they both found their rest.  Leigh slipped into a deep sleep for the first time in days while D held her and watched her sleep.  The emotions he couldn’t show while she was awake, now clear on his face.  He wondered briefly if his companion hadn’t been right.  He knew she couldn’t stay but having her leave without ever saying anything might be worse than sharing.  It was something he would have to decide soon.

* * *

 

The next several weeks went by much faster than Leigh wanted them to, even though it seemed as if they were taking the return trip slower.  On the way to the compound they had stayed in the saddle from dawn to after nightfall.  Now that they were on the way back their travel days were much shorter.  She also noted that they stopped every few days and stayed in a village instead of constantly out in the open.  Each time they stopped, they both took advantage of the extra time they were allowed.

Since they were taking their time Leigh was able to relax a little and found that there was more to this strange time than she had previously been able to experience.  There were still many people that would treat them with suspicion and some that were outright hostile, but that wasn’t everyone.  She found that as a whole, the people were wary but not unkind.  She almost regretted not having the opportunity to really see what society was like while she was here. 

She was also surprised when D took the time to show her some of the wonders that she would otherwise never have seen.  Not everything the Nobility created was centered on bloodshed.  On several occasions he took the time to go a little bit out of the way, so she could get a glimpse of an abandoned wonder.  It was almost saddening to see such grand and beautiful edifices already succumbing to the hands of time.  She realized with a heavy heart that all things succumb to time.  Nothing can escape, and it was bittersweet seeing the evidence of a people’s passing, even if those people were blood thirsty killers.  She knew the pangs in her heart weren’t because of the passing of the Nobility, but much more personal even if she would never voice it aloud.

Even though they were taking their time, D made sure to skirt the Capital.  It was the only time during the trip that he pushed them to make as much distance as possible before he allowed them to stop.  He made it clear that he didn’t want to spend more time than necessary near the metropolis.

Once they passed the Capital, Leigh found that her heart grew heavier each day.  They still shared conversations and she somehow managed to smile but inside, all she could think was that with each day’s passing they were one day closer to their goal.

It was several weeks after they had passed the Capital when things changed.  That morning when they started their trip, Leigh noticed immediately that D was nearly completely silent.  He wasn’t big on conversation, but they had been together long enough that he no longer hid behind a mask.  It was especially strange since Lefty was also silent nearly the whole day.  Leigh couldn’t help but feel the fear starting to rise.  She was strung so tight that when D moved off the trail in early afternoon she couldn’t help but feel the tears prickle behind her eyes.  He took them to a cave that Leigh was surprised to find familiar.  It was the camp they stayed in when she first arrived.  Looking around at the sight of it now, after so many months, she couldn’t help the strangled sound that escaped her.  It started as a laugh but somehow got caught up in a sob.  She knew she never would have expected things to end up like they had.  No matter how much it hurt though, she knew it had been worth it.  She tried to cover the few tears that had escaped by quickly moving to set up camp.  If D had noticed he didn’t mention it.

It didn’t take them long to get everything set up.  Leigh found that she couldn’t face the sight of their little camp though and didn’t bother sitting down.  Instead she ducked outside without a word, trying to keep herself under control while pretending to look across at the beginnings of a beautiful sunset.

She wasn’t surprised when D stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her tightly.  She rested her hands on his forearms as they both watched the sun sink lower in the sky.  It was D that finally broke the silence.  “I was going to tell you that we will be arriving tomorrow, but it looks as if you have already figured that out.”

Leigh closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, enough to make sure that her voice would remain steady.  “I recognize this site as the camp you set up when you first rescued me.”

D didn’t respond after that, instead pulling her close enough that her back was completely flush with his chest.  They stood like that until the sun had almost completely disappeared before Leigh turned in his arms to face him.  She knew he would be able to see the tears shimmering in her eyes, even if she refused to let them fall, but she still somehow managed to produce a bright smile for him.  She reached up and traced the outline of his lower lip before tracing his jawline and cheek with the pad of her thumb. 

Together they had spent the last months making sure they made enough memories to last a lifetime.  Neither of them said anything but she was sure he had been doing the same.  She felt an ache in her heart as she sent up a silent prayer that these memories would hold him until he could find something else.  She knew that his life would be so long that memories of her would eventually fade, and as much as it hurt, she hoped they would.  She would rather that, than think if him reliving painful memories years from now.  He placed his hand over hers, cupping it to his face.  He didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to.  He stepped back, continuing to hold her hand as he led her back to their cave.

When they ducked into the small area that was lit with the low fire they had started earlier, they both immediately went to their bedroll.  They hadn’t made it all the way down before Leigh found her lips captured in a searing kiss.  D had one arm firmly around her as he laid her back never breaking the kiss.  They finally broke enough for her to take in gasping breaths.  It caught in her throat though as his heated kisses trailed down her neck and over her collarbone.  His nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons on her shirt, exposing her breasts to more of his kisses.  There was an urgency in his movements that had not been there since the first time they had made love.

Leigh was being driven to madness by the movements of his hands and mouth on her skin, but she finally managed to get herself under control enough to push against his shoulders.  When he looked up she was surprised to see his eyes had started to turn crimson.  That was another thing that he had been able to control after their first time together.  The sight of it didn’t stop her.  She pushed again, slightly harder this time.  He finally relented and allowed her to switch their positions.

She had figured out some time back how to actually remove his clothing as well.  Although she wasn’t as quick as he had been it didn’t take her long to expose him to her kisses.  She wanted to remember every part of him, so she took her time in moving over his body, planting feathery kisses as she went.  She finally made her way lower, planting kisses across the edge of his hip and down his thigh.  She followed the same path up the other side.  When she reached his stomach, she looked up to see his gaze burning into her.  She felt herself melt at the heat in his gaze.  She made sure to keep eye contact as she trailed lower.  When she finally grasped him, she smiled slightly at the low growl it caused.  She followed her hand with kisses until she was at his tip.  She placed a soft kiss there before running along one side with her tongue and then back up the other.  When she finally took him in her mouth, she hummed at the vibration his sounds of pleasure caused.

She was so lost in what she was doing that it was a surprise when he let out a growl louder than any of the ones before.  She barely had time to look up and register the nearly feral look on his face before he moved so quickly she could barely register his movements and she found herself on her back again.

His lips were once again on hers as his hands roamed over every inch of her body he could reach.  He barely paused to lower his head down to claim her with his tongue.  His movements were so urgent, it wasn’t long until so was close to screaming out her own pleasure.  When he finally moved to claim her she almost instantly shattered around him.  He caught her cries in another heated kiss without relenting.  He pushed her to the brink again before finally cascading over the edge with her.

As they laid together, trying to catch their breath, he pulled her in close.  She had barely managed to slow her breathing when her blood was stirred once again by his kisses across her shoulder.  They ended up making love again and again.  The urgency in their movements never fading, neither one wanting to stop and let the night take this away from them. 

They ended up dozing together right before dawn, but Leigh was awoken a short time later by a feather light touch on her stomach.  He had been running his hand from the space between her breasts down to her stomach where he paused.  She cupped her hand over his before turning to face him again.  He pulled her close before kissing both her eyelids and then kissing her so gently her heart ached.

She could tell the sun had already started to rise but paid it no mind.  They lay there so close to one another, neither closing their eyes as they shared tender kisses.  When he pushed her back once again she welcomed him.  She knew it would be their last time.  They took their time together, building up the pressure to the breaking point but not rushing.  When they finally couldn’t hold it back any longer they fell into the abyss together.

Neither moved more than to close the distance between them, laying like that until the sunlight finally started to penetrate the cave.  With a last loving kiss, D moved to gather his clothes with Leigh right behind him.  Neither spoke as they packed their things but that didn’t stop Leigh from trailing her fingers across D’s arm or back every time he passed close enough.  She only caught his small smile at the action once.

When everything was ready they paused before mounting their horses.  D pulled her close, just holding her.  Leigh buried her face in his chest and tried not to let her tears fall.  When he finally pulled back he brushed her lips with his own once more before helping her up into the saddle of his horse and followed her up.  He turned them toward the place where this all started.  As much as he tried to keep his face in his normal mask, he found it was getting harder and harder to do.  His only consolation was that the woman in his arms didn’t see it.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The soundtrack for this chapter is 'Could it be any Harder' by The Calling, for the first part anyway. For the last part it is 'The Memory' by Mayday Parade. This is technically the last chapter as the next one is the epilogue. I hope you have enjoyed it so far, even though I know it is a little sad.

## Chapter 26

Leigh hadn’t realized how far away the castle was from their first campsite.  She had been unconscious the first time they made this trip.  They weren’t in a hurry to get there so it ended up being nearly evening when they stopped in front of the towering building.  It looked even more eerie with the sun setting behind it.

When they dismounted, Leigh didn’t bother grabbing anything except for the small lamp.  She wasn’t ashamed to reach for D’s hand as they headed toward the towering doors.  She wasn’t sure if it was more to ease her fear or for the simple comfort she found in being able to touch him while she still could.  The fact that he didn’t say anything when their fingers entwined made Leigh smile up at his back.  There was sadness in her eyes, but she wasn’t about to break down now.

Once he opened the doors he turned back to her.  She could see the same look in his eyes that she knew was in hers, but she just gave him a quick hug before turning on the lamp and walking into the darkened entrance.  Even though they traveled the same path as the last time, she didn’t have any better luck keeping track of the way they went.  She wasn’t exactly trying to remember the way either.  Her eyes were almost constantly on the hunter by her side.  She had opened her shields to see if there were any other presences but had found nothing so far.  Of course, that left her open to her companion’s feelings as well.  The fact that they mirrored her own made it hard for her to keep going, but she knew this was inevitable.

 They both stopped outside the room she had arrived in, the room where they had their first encounter with the being that had pulled her here.  Neither of them looked at the other, just stood there staring at the door.  Finally, Leigh reached out and pushed the door open.

She wasn’t able to hold in the scream that left her lips when the open door revealed a pair of red glowing eyes.  The déjà vu was so strong it was disorienting.  D had already let go of her hand and was across the room to engage him.  To both their surprise the man did nothing but dodge and jump out of range.  D was already following him across the room when he paused at the man’s voice.  “Hold, I am not here to interfere.  I merely wanted to congratulate you, both of you.”

His words didn’t soothe Leigh’s fear.  She had taken a couple of steps into the room and stood there staring at him, like a rabbit stares at a snake.  D hadn’t lowered his sword but didn’t make any further move to attack.  The silence stretched until Leigh worked up enough courage to speak.  “Why would you congratulate us?  What do you want?”

The look he gave her was complicated.  There was an underlying sadness that he didn’t bother hiding, but there was also something evaluating in the look he gave her.  “You have managed what I could not.”  He turned to look back over at D before continuing.  “Also, you have accomplished something rare.”

Leigh was tired to death of listening to his cryptic responses.  Her irritation was clear in her voice when she spoke.  “Can you only talk in riddles?  Do you have some sort of personal code that says you can’t just speak straight?”

He turned a small, sad smile in her direction.  “I see you are still unable to keep from defying me.  I suppose that is what made this work though.”

Leigh couldn’t help the frustrated noise she made but she was silenced when the man turned to D once again.  “I know you are aware of at least a part of why I am here.  You may not have become all you were supposed to, but you have still done something extraordinary.”

While the man had been speaking D had maneuvered so that he was now standing between Leigh and the older male.  The man only shook his head slightly.  “I will not attack her.  I have no need to.  Besides, you have a claim on her that even I could not undo.”

Leigh couldn’t see D’s face, but she noticed his body stiffen at the man’s words.  She couldn’t help but try to peek around him to see if she could tell what was going on.  Both men were masters of speaking in body language that was a mystery to everyone except themselves and without seeing them she felt deaf.  When she saw D’s profile she was surprised at the open shock she found.  Her gaze was drawn back to the man as he spoke again.  “I see you did not realize it was more than a blood bond.  It isn’t surprising, as it would not have been possible had she been completely human.  Will that knowledge change anything though?”

All three people stood in silence after that.  Leigh had an inkling of what the man had been talking about.  It helped her to understand what had happened the day he had attacked her when she was alone.  She was sure the outcome of today would remain the same though.

The man finally moved to turn his back on them both.  D moved into a position to attack but the man disappeared before he could move.  His parting words echoed around them.  “I will leave you to say goodbye.”

After he was gone they both stood still for several minutes.  Leigh tried her best to see if she could feel anything around them since her eyes couldn’t penetrate the darkness further in the room.  She knew it was probably a lost cause.  The man had proven several times now that he could manipulate her perception of his emotions, even as far as hiding them from her completely.  It didn’t surprise her that he was capable of something like that.

Finally, D must have decided he was gone as well.  He put his sword away before turning back to Leigh.  She noticed his eyes were even more troubled than they had been.  She couldn’t stand to see him like that.  The look was out of place on his normally stoic face.  She couldn’t stop herself from wrapping her arms around him.  “Don’t let his words get to you.”  She had her face buried in his chest so didn’t see as his gaze softened.

“I find that I don’t want to let you go.”

At his words Leigh’s heart stopped beating momentarily before starting a race to beat out of her chest.  She never expected to hear those words from him.  Unfortunately, she also heard what he hadn’t said.  She loosened her grip enough to look up into his face.  “I sense there is a but coming.”

He gave her a sad smile.  “I cannot keep you.  Even if you think the same, we both know we have different paths to walk.”

Leigh could feel the tears falling finally but she ignored them.  She still managed to smile through them.  “I told you from the beginning I understood that.  I don’t regret it at all.  Having this…”  She paused and put her hand on his chest.  “Even if it was for a short time, it’s worth it.  I am privileged to have had the opportunity.”  She buried her face in his chest once again after that.

Together they stood there like that, unmoving.  Neither of them wanted to break the silence, knowing what it would mean.  In the silence, Leigh realized she could pinpoint the spot she needed to move into.  Now that there was no one in the room terrifying her as a distraction and she knew what she was looking for, she realized the pull had been there from the beginning.  It was just faint enough that the other times she had been in this room she hadn’t noticed it past the distractions.

With a sigh, she finally pulled away from D, still making sure to grab his hand.  “The spot is over there.”  She pointed to a spot near the center of the room before tugging on his hand and moving toward it.  She stopped right next to where she could feel the pull the strongest.  “I… I wanted to thank you.  If you hadn’t been here, there is no telling what might have happened.”  She paused to swallow a few times to try and dislodge the knot that was forming.  Finally, she was able to speak again.  “I don’t know how the rest of either of our lives will play out, but I can promise I’ll never forget you.”

At those words D moved to pull her into another embrace.  She wanted to cling to him and never let go but she knew, no matter how hard this was, they couldn’t stay like that forever.  She let it linger for just a moment before pushing back again.  When she looked up she gave him another tremulous smile.  She ran her hands down his arms and grasped his hands tightly before pausing and slightly lifting his left.  “I won’t be able to forget you either.  I wanted to thank you for making me smile, especially over the last several weeks.  The two of you make a great team, so look after him please.”

She hadn’t bothered to try and look at D’s palm.  She knew Lefty would know she was talking to him.  She couldn’t help the choked laugh at his response.  “Well, at least I managed to make one of you smile.  Living with the sourpuss here, I despaired of ever seeing one again.”  She closed her eyes, focusing on holding the moment.  She opened them and looked back down again when the carbuncle spoke again.  “You take care too.  Make sure not to get yourself into trouble.  I know it’ll be hard, as you seem to be a magnet for it, but… well, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

This time when she smiled down at D’s companion, it wasn’t forced.  “I’ll do my best.”

She finally moved to where the feeling was the strongest.  She could tell instantly she was in the right spot.  There was a feeling in the back of her mind telling her, all she would have to do was let go and she would be back home.  She wasn’t quite ready yet.  There was at least one more thing she wanted to say before she faded away from her lover forever.

She looked back up into his eyes but didn’t get a chance to say anything.  He had brought a hand up and cupped her cheek.  The move was so tender it stole her breath for a moment.  He caught her eyes before bending to brush his lips across hers.  The pressure left her lips, but he only moved back far enough to speak.  She felt his words breathed across her lips.  “I love you.”  Instantly his lips were crushed against hers again.

When he finally pulled back she smiled up at him.  “I know.”  She brushed her fingers across his lips, wearing the smile she would only ever have for him.  “Please do something for me?  I know you may feel like the darkness is consuming you but remember, no matter what else, you will always be my sunlight.  Don’t forget that, don’t let that go.”  She wrapped her arms around him, her last words were choked but still clear to the hunter’s ears.  “I love you!  I can’t leave without letting you know.”

D closed his eyes and held her close.  He lifted her head to press his lips to her forehead, wiping away the tears as they soaked her face.   They instantly drenched her cheeks again but neither paid attention.  She reached up with both hands, holding his face, trying to memorize every angle and curve.  She didn’t look away even as his eyes turned red and his anguish washed over her, joining with her own as it threatened to wash her away.  She still smiled only for him as she whispered.  “Goodbye, my love.”  With those words she allowed the pulling to drag her away.

D watched as she faded away until he was holding nothing but air.  She had never stopped smiling for him.  He could still feel the warmth in his fingertips, her warmth that she had never held back from him.  Her warmth that she had not only shared with him but made sure he had always known she felt just for him, even if she never said as much.  That smile would always be his.

As these thoughts whirled fast in his head, a monstrous aura sprang forth from him, shaking the very building he was standing in.  If he noticed it, he paid it no heed.  He even ignored the voice of his companion.  “D!?  Come on now, you’re going to bring the place down around our ears!  It isn’t the end of the world, come on now, you know she’s safe at least!”  A rumbling could be heard from all around them causing the carbuncle to really start to worry as D hadn’t moved.  “Let’s move D.  We can talk about this outside.  Oh, move.  Now!  I don’t want to die yet.”

D hadn’t bothered to make Lefty shut up.  He hadn’t moved at all.  When Lefty noticed a large piece of the ceiling falling he truly felt panic creep in.  he didn’t get much of a chance for it to set in though as both he and the hunter he was attached to were forcefully thrown out of the way.

This finally served to break D from his distraction.  He was on instant alert for what had tackled him out of the way.  He froze when he looked over into a face like his own.  What had him frozen wasn’t the face that mirrored his own, but the eyes that did not.  He was looking into eyes that looked so much like the ones he had just watched fade away.  His eyes widened as the man spoke.  “She would not have wanted this.  Live and achieve your goals.  That is all she ever wanted.”

D didn’t get a chance to respond before the man turned and ran away so fast he was gone before D could think to follow.  The sight of the man had something stirring in D, causing him to move.  He had barely made it outside when the building finally started falling apart, from the inside out.  He paid it no heed as he headed back toward his horse.  He had known, before she left that she was not going home alone, but he never expected what he had just seen.

When he mounted he realized he now had something additional to search for.  He found that this thought didn’t fill him with dread though.  He had a very long life ahead of him and he planned on using it to find answers.  He turned his horse toward the wastelands.  If he heard the voice of his companion as they rode away, he didn’t add anything.  “Goodbye to you too.  Hope you find happiness.”

* * *

 

Leigh could feel that she was home, she felt something soft under her feet instead of the cold stone floor she had been standing on.  Her gaze was still pointed up, her arms still up in the air, but she finally allowed the smile to fall from her lips.  There was no longer someone there to share it with.

When she finally allowed her arms to fall, her whole body collapsed.  She barely noted she was back on her own bed.  She sat there on her knees, with her arms wrapped around herself tightly.  The sobs wracked her body so hard she could feel the muscles in her torso and back straining, but she couldn’t stop the tears.  Eventually she fell to her side as the sobs subsided.  Tears still came down, but she didn’t have the energy to care.

It wasn’t until the dawn broke through the crack in her curtains, brightly shining on her face, that she came back from the memories that continued to play through her minds eye.  As she sat up and looked around the room that didn’t seem to be changed at all, she finally remembered there were probably people that had missed her.  She instantly thought of her father.  She had to let him know she was home.

She crawled across the bed to the landline sitting on her bedside table.  She didn’t even have to think before her father’s number was dialed.  When she heard a gruff ‘hello’ after the second ring she found she hadn’t cried out all her tears after all.  It wasn’t until she caught the worried tone in his voice as he called out her name for the third time that she was able to get herself under control enough to speak.  “Dad!  I’m back.  I’m home!  Oh dad…”  She broke off again, not knowing how to even start telling him what had happened.

Richard could hear the note of hysteria in his daughter’s voice.  He had never heard her sound so broken and it instantly had him on alert.  He tried to get her to calm down.  “Sweetie just calm down and talk to me.”  When the only response he got was more sobbing he knew he was needed, probably more than he ever had been before.  His daughter was the most independent woman he knew, even when she was younger.  He didn’t want to admit it, but he was scared.  “Ok, sweetie, listen.  I’m on my way there right now.  I’ll be there as quick as I can.”

He barely heard her confirmation that she had heard him before he hung up and headed out.  Normally it would take him a little over two hours to get from his ranch to where she lived.  This morning he made it in just over an hour.

He had a key to his daughter’s house, but this was the first time he had ever used it.  This was only the second time he had been in the building in the two years since she had been here, the first being when he helped her move in.  That didn’t stop him from knowing exactly where he would find her.

He headed straight for her room only to find her curled up and asleep on her bed.  He might have been a little upset that he had rushed if it weren’t for the rest of what he saw.  She was wrapped up in a cloth cloak that didn’t look like a prop.  It was dusty and looked to be well used.  Besides that, her face was still covered in the tracks of her tears and her nose was slightly red.  He had never seen her like this, not since she had been small.  She was stubborn and didn’t like other people knowing what she was feeling.

He wasn’t sure what happened, but he wasn’t going to leave her here like this.  If she had work, she was going to call in for a few days off.  He picked her up gently and headed out.  She woke up partially before he made it to his truck.  She looked up at him and when he caught her eyes his breath caught at the broken look in them.  He didn’t ask questions though.  He knew she would tell him when she was ready.  For now, he had her in is truck and on the way back to the ranch.  She was asleep again before they made it.  When he put her on the bed of her room, he brushed the hair back off her face.  All he could do was hope this was something he could help with.  He hated to see that look in her eyes, but something told him this was a hurt he wasn’t going to be able to chase away for her.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to add a quick note. I know the books say the end happened in 1999, but since it is already 2018 I have taken the small liberty of moving that date to 2090.

## Chapter 27

Epilogue

Leigh had been bringing a tray with snacks and drinks out to her guests when she was almost run over by two small bodies.  She smiled at the two that were chasing each other across the veranda before putting the tray down on the table and calling out to them.  “No running up here.  If you want to race, then do it in the yard!”

She sat down next to the one person she could still really call a friend with an exasperated sigh.  “He is going to be the death of me yet.  Is she always that crazy too, or just when you come visit?” 

Aimee turned to her with the same look of loving frustration.  “She’s always hyper but Adam seems to bring out the worst in her.”

Leigh shared a smile with her friend before turning to look at the two racing across the yard now.  Seeing them together had her wondering again how they had gotten here.  It had been seven years now since her return.  She still thought about her half a year that had disappeared.  As far as the people here were concerned, she had never been gone.  There had been times she had thought it might have been a strange dream, but two things made sure to remind her it couldn’t have been.  The first had been the twin marks on her neck that never faded.  To most it would look like a vivid mark or scar, but they were always red.

The second reminder was the one that brought the smile back to Leigh’s face.  When she had first returned she had taken a few days before she pushed herself to return to her life as it had been, much to her father’s dismay, but she knew she couldn’t let life pass her by.  She had given up too much to let herself drown in her sorrow.  She had a life to live and she planned on treasuring every moment she had, even the poignant memories. 

Her resolve to throw herself into her old life was challenged when she found out she was pregnant.  It wasn’t long after she found out that she moved to the ranch to start helping her father.  Her mother hadn’t understood at first why she had wanted to move out into the middle of nowhere instead of into the city with her, but Leigh managed to convince her it was what she needed.  Her mother had never understood her moods that were sometimes caused by her gift.  Her father had always been the one to support her when they were bad.  She had a sneaking suspicion that her father knew more about it than he ever told her.  One day she thought she might confront him about it, but for now she was content to be somewhere that she could relax most of the time.

Just before Leigh had given birth to Adam she found out her friend, Aimee had finally decided to get married.  Those two events happening back to back pretty much destroyed their little trio, but Leigh was delighted to find that Aimee was going to be a mother soon as well.  They never pushed Tyne away, but the things that interested the two mothers didn’t hold the interest of their other friend.  When Leigh moved to the ranch it ended up that Tyne eventually quit visiting.  As sad as Leigh was to see her friend disappear from her life, she was happy that Aimee continued to visit. 

Now that Aimee’s daughter, Izabel, was about to start school, Leigh really appreciated the times they would come visit.  Adam loved Izabel like a little sister already and you would hardly find them apart, even when they fought they didn’t stay distant long.  The five-year-old Izabel had the six-year-old Adam wrapped around her little finger.

As she watched them chase each other around she felt a pang as she realized she didn’t know how much longer this would last.  Adam already looked much like his father.  Even in his baby face it was easy to see the elegant brow, straight nose and high cheekbones that were a sure sign that he was going to grow up to look very much like his father and grandfather.  The only difference was that he had her eyes.  Their chocolate color and slight rounding, a far cry from the steel and sharpness of his father’s.

Adam had already been in school for a year and loved it.  He was smart and loved the praise he got, but he took after her in more than just his eyes.  He was already showing the signs that he had inherited her gift.  Luckily Leigh knew exactly how to teach him to handle it and most days he was already able to keep up a shield good enough for him to function.  Her main concern was the fact that he was going to grow up different.  It might not be as big of a deal in the 21st century that he was a dhampir, after all, those things just didn’t exist to most people.  That didn’t stop the fact that at some point she was going to have to tell him the truth.  Not only that but find a way to teach him how to deal with it.  So far, she had been able to deflect his questions about his father.  She knew she couldn’t do that forever.  She vowed that she would allow him to retain his innocence for as long as possible though.

She was brought out of her reverie by a small body slamming into her lap.  She managed to catch her son before they both fell over.  “Mama, mama!  Guess what?  I felt a stranger by the fence.  I couldn’t see them, but I could feel them.  I think they were hiding behind the shed.  But, guess what?  They were proud of me!  Do you think it might have been one of my teachers come for a visit?”

Leigh instantly felt dread wash over her.  She looked over at her friend to find a curious expression.  Izabel had tackled her in much the same way Adam had tackled Leigh but that didn’t stop her from hearing his excited rambling.  Her friend’s curiosity was the least of her problem’s right now.  “Aimee, would you please watch Adam for a minute.  I want to make sure we don’t have trespassers.”  After she sat Adam down on the chair she had just been sitting in she turned back to her son.  “Also, young man, remember what I said about rambling like that?  You have to make sure people understand you.”  She knew her tone was harsh, but it was the only way to protect him.  He already knew how cruel some people could be. 

He gave her a meek nod with wide eyes before she bent and gave him a kiss on his forehead.  She whispered for only him to hear.  “It’ll be ok.  I’m here for you but you have to be careful.” 

With a pat to his head she walked as quietly as she could to the shed near the yard.  She had felt the tug on her consciousness that showed her there was indeed someone there.  That more than the feelings she could still feel put her on edge, but their signature was fading.  Whoever it had been was already leaving and leaving so fast she had no doubt why they had been here.  She had been afraid this day would come.  Something told her there was no way she could protect him forever.  She hoped that whoever it was decided that looking was enough, but she wasn’t going to count on it, especially as she had a good idea who it was already.  She was prepared to fight for him if she had to though.

When she made it back to her guests and son they were all wearing looks of concern.  She smiled and tried to wave it off.  “I didn’t see anyone.  If they were there they left pretty quickly.”

Aimee’s look of concern didn’t go away.  “Do you think…”  She trailed off before pointedly looking down at Adam.  “You know, was it something to do with…”

Leigh tried not to let her concern show.  Her friend was the only person besides her father that she had opened up to concerning her gift.  She had to after several strange circumstances came to light regarding Adam and Izabel.  She hadn’t told anyone about Adam’s father though.  She was surprised that Aimee had deduced it might have been something to do with the missing man.  She wasn’t going to drag her friend into it though, so she gave her another smile.  “If it was they didn’t do much.  It’s no big deal.  You know how crazy protective I am anyway so don’t worry about it.”  That last part hadn’t been an exaggeration.  Aimee had told her more than once that she was overprotective of her son.  She was ok with that though.  She would rather that, than have something happen to him.  The potential dangers he faced were more than any child should be burdened with and she was going to keep it from him until she couldn’t anymore.

The conversation turned to lighter things after that, with the kids finally attacking the snacks Leigh had brought out earlier.  The rest of the visit was uneventful.  Leigh managed to convince them to stay the night, since it was late, and the drive back was a long one.  When the two women went to put the children to bed, they couldn’t help but coo at the cute picture Adam and Izabel made.  They had fallen asleep together in the middle of a giant pile of stuffed animals.  Instead of moving them, they just cleared the bed and covered them up.

The women stayed up talking for several hours.  They didn’t get to visit as often as either liked.  As much as Leigh tried to ignore it, the pull on her consciousness continued through the night and invaded her dreams.  It was the first night in years that she had the nightmares that woke her up crying.  She knew the time had come to tell Adam the truth.  She only hoped she would be strong enough to keep him safe.

* * *

 

After that night it became a regular thing for Leigh to feel that pull.  It never amounted to more than that though, a fact that she continued to be thankful for through every year.

Leigh finally told Adam who was after him when the first encounter happened.  She knew it had been hard for him to understand, but she had opened her shields and had him do the same.  She didn’t let him feel everything, but she could tell that he understood the truth in her words.  When he slept, she cried for the loss of his innocence.  She could tell he felt more in her than she had wanted him to and it pained her that he now knew her smiles were edged in sorrow.

After that day he became too sober for a child, but she did everything she could to make his childhood happy.  She had thought about taking him out of school when things got rough for him, but he insisted on staying.  He had several friends that meant the world to him and she couldn’t bring herself to take that away.  She knew it would change as he got older, but she wasn’t going to force it to happen.

When he finally hit seventeen, he stopped aging.  She had suspected that might happen but was sad to have it confirmed.  It was then that they started making plans for the future.  She refused to let him cut himself off from the rest of the world but making sure he wasn’t discovered through the years made for some unique planning.  She was thankful that her father was there to help.

When Adam turned 25 and still looked like he was 17, she knew she couldn’t keep it from her father anymore.  Her mother had passed away the year before, cancer had taken her before her time.  Now her little family was just the three of them and she wasn’t going to hide anything anymore.  Adam had insisted on being a part of the conversation, as she had never told him everything either.  She didn’t leave out anything, well except for the parts that would be embarrassing to tell your father and son.  When she was finished Adam moved to give her a hug.  The words he whispered had tears springing up in her eyes.  “I always questioned why you wouldn’t tell me about my father, but I never questioned how much you loved me.  Don’t ever think that I felt I missed something because he couldn’t be here too.”

Leigh hadn’t realized that fear had been intrinsic to her life until he helped her let it go.  She gave him a kiss on his forehead before she let him go.  “You are more like your father than you will ever know.  You are already strong, and you’ll just get stronger.  Don’t let life steal that from you.”

Her father didn’t question it.  She could tell he believed her, even though she didn’t expect it.  It made her wonder again if there was more to him than she knew.  He never felt the need to share if there was.

* * *

 

Between the three of them they prepared a place they could all go before the world fell apart.  She hated that Adam was kept from living a full life, but he never seemed unhappy.  There were years at a time that he would leave, not in anger but because Leigh would insist that he not stay on the ranch forever.  He always returned.  She knew when he came back that his heart was always fuller, but also more burdened.

He had long ago learned to deal with the thirst.  He was not immune to the pull of his father’s heritage, but when he combined it with the gifts he got from his mother, it made it easier to deal with.  He managed to find people that made his life easier to live, a gift that made Leigh’s burden lighter.  She knew he could never have a normal life but was glad that he had normal moments.

By the time Leigh’s father passed away they had nearly everything they would need.  They had long ago purchased a remote plot of land up in the mountains of Colorado and made a sanctuary.  When her father finally passed on they decided to sell the ranch and move.

The year was now 2089.  Leigh sat on a cliff that overlooked the property.  She was far enough back not to fall, but close enough that the image of the line that divided the property in to light and dark made her smile a small sad smile.  She couldn’t help but think back on her life and how it had always been a balance like that, but it had been a good life.  She knew she had several years more, but this would be the last time she saw the sun.

She heard Adam come up behind her, but he didn’t bother her.  She smiled at his consideration.  He had grown into a fine man, much like his father.  He didn’t talk much but he was always conscientious, especially with her.  She wouldn’t trade the life she had for anything.

When the sun was finally gone, she stood with some effort.  Adam was by her side to help her down the narrow path that would lead back down to their sanctuary.  “Thank you.  I wanted to watch the sun set one more time.”  She felt a pang come from her son at her words and wished she could take it away. 

She knew he would go on living long after she died, and it made her heart ache knowing that he was going to be alone for years to come.  They had everything they needed for him to get through the next several decades.  They had been planning for this for a long time.  Now that the end of the world as they knew it was just around the corner they were both saying painful goodbyes.  Leigh watched as Adam closed the door of their sanctuary, blocking out her last sight of the outside world before they both turned and descended into the mountain.

* * *

 

Adam had known this day was coming, had been coming faster than he ever wanted to admit.  His only consolation was that she had passed while she slept.  He knew she expected him to stay ensconced in this subterranean shelter, but he could not allow her to stay down here and rot.  He knew there was still radiation out there, but this area of the world was one of the least harmed.  They had monitored everything from the safety of this underground home.

He did not allow himself to cry as he picked up her tiny body gently.  There was a raging storm inside him, but he refused to let it show.  He knew that going forward from here, that was a luxury he could no longer afford.

He finally made it outside to see the sky a deep red as the sun set.  He vaguely noted it was appropriate before he moved to a spot that had an expansive view of the land around them as well as showing the endless sky.  It was here that he laid her to rest, a spot where her free spirit would never be tethered again.

The night wore away without him moving.  He simply stood vigil over her grave as the darkness thickened.  It was early in the morning when his voice finally cut the silence.  “She told me you would probably come after she was gone.  Did you feel her passing?”  He turned his gaze to catch the red eyes of a man standing a short distance away.

“She always knew when I was near, but I could never control her.  I cannot remember biting one such as her, which poses an interesting question.  She has bore the mark of my fangs since before you were born.  Seeing you though was enough for me to hold my hand.”  The man had moved silently to face Adam across the grave.  Adam didn’t move except to give the man a cold look at being so close to a spot he considered sacred. 

If the man realized the rage flowing underneath the surface of the young dhampir he didn’t show it.  He continued as if he had gotten the response he had been looking for.  “I realized many years ago who she was.  She kept it hidden but I know she wore my heart stone.  It was dead though.  It had served its purpose and was no more than a pretty accessory by the time you were born.  You are what I have worked toward.”  He paused before holding out a hand.  “Come with me.  I can teach you everything you need to know.”

Adam’s gaze only grew colder.  “I know all I need to from you.  She asked that I not try to kill you, she told me you will always have more experience than me.  I will respect that wish for now but know that I will not be idle.  There will come a day I feel I can no longer honor that wish.”

He turned his back on the man, knowing he would not be attacked but not caring if he was.  He was filled with such rage and grief at the moment that it would not have taken much to provoke him.  The man seemed to have understood.  With a flick of his cloak he took on the aspect of the night and left the youth in solitude and silence.

* * *

 

That was not the last time that the man approached Adam.  A fact that always irritated the dhampir.  The man was wily though and often left their interactions with new information, even if Adam didn’t say it aloud.  It was the fact that Adam could always feel him that prompted the man to learn to hide or disguise his emotions.  Even though he learned to hide them, Adam never failed to notice his presence once he was close.  That was one of the few things that bothered the man.  Adam never told him how it was possible. 

The time came when the man taunted him with the birth of brothers.  He used it as an occasion to try and lure the dhampir to his side again.  Adam felt his heart lurch at the news, but he never let it show, again turning the man down.  He knew he couldn’t give this being a single piece of information that could be turned against him.

For the most part his life was solitary, especially in the first millennia after the fall of humanity.  He learned how to make his way quickly, also learning that the remains of humanity rarely showed anything but fear and hatred for outsiders.  They didn’t know his origins, but they knew instinctively that he was different.

With the rise of the nobility it was harder for him to keep his solitude, but he kept to the shadows.  No matter how hard he tried he was still unable to avoid his grandsire.  As solitary as he was, he still managed to get as much information as he could on the man’s movements.  When the man started with his horrendous experiments, Adam found that he felt compelled to interfere.  He still avoided going head to head with the older vampire, but he did all he could to slow him down.

When the nobility started to decline he finally started hearing stories of his father.  He never tried to approach him, but still found himself following stories of the powerful dhampir.  A few times he was able to catch a glimpse of him but would quickly leave when he felt him turn his direction with suspicion.

Adam had long since become a hunter, a fact that never ceased to irritate his grandsire whenever they would meet.  He wondered sometimes if the older vampire didn’t seek him out to feel something other than sadness.  He had known for some time that his grandsire knew the inevitability of his actions, but he was a proud man and was not ready to give up.

It was during one of these visits that he felt something that he had almost forgotten he had been waiting for.  His mother’s spirit was once more in this world.  He instantly turned to the vampire that had been scolding him for killing his own kin.  The fire in his eyes had the man silently evaluating him but he didn’t care.  “If you hurt her, this will be the day I finally break my vow.”

The vampire’s eyes glowed slightly before he vanished in a swirl of his cloak.  For the first time in several millennia Adam swore.  He had not mastered the same trick of teleporting that his grandsire was now known for, but he could shift.  He knew where the man was headed and didn’t hesitate to give chase.

By the time he arrived at the abandoned rural castle his parents were already gone.  The fact that his grandsire was there waiting only served to irritate him further.  It wasn’t that he would have approached his parents, but he didn’t want this man to either.

“She is as beautiful as I remember.  It is unfortunate that my younger son is enough like me for her to arrive at his point in time here instead of mine.  If he had not been here she would have come to me.  If you want to find her you will have to chase them.”

The man’s words made Adam feel a little better.  He knew it was supposed to happen like that, from what his mother had told him, but there was still a part of him that worried.  That didn’t stop him from threatening the man.  “You will not interfere.  Let her go home.  I know that is her only objective.”  His grandsire only gave him a sad smile before leaving.

Adam didn’t follow his parents too closely.  He knew his father and his companion would know if he got too close.  He did his best to keep track of their movements though.  He wanted to make sure his grandsire did nothing to hurt his mother.  The fact that he knew she would be bitten by the vampire at some point did not ease his worry.  He wondered if he could prevent that from happening.  The worry that it might create a paradox didn’t bother him at all, not if he could save the woman that gave him life.

When he felt them stop at one of his grandsires ruined labs he was moved to get closer than he normally would have.  If he remembered correctly, his grandsire was going to make a move here.  He was forced to retreat when his father came to look into his aura.  He cursed again when he felt his mother’s form transport to another location.  He knew that his grandsire had been successful, and he was not going to let him keep her.  He knew which compound he had taken her to.  It bothered him even more when he realized there were many vampires there.  He knew his father would figure it out as well and head there, but he couldn’t leave his mother in that man’s clutches longer than she had to be.

When he arrived, he didn’t bother trying to sneak in, so when two vampires tried to stop him, the imminent battle was stopped by a cold voice.  “I would not recommend attacking him.  You are both helpful and I would hate to see you die.”  The two turned with polite bows to their king.  It was as they straightened that their eyes rounded.  It would have been comical if the situation was not so serious.  The way they looked back and forth between the two before bowing to the dhampir with a mumbled ‘my lord’.

When they faded away Adam turned to the older vampire.  “Where is my mother?”

“She is safe.  Would you like to see her?” 

Adam’s heart clenched at those words.  His objective had been to remove her from this man’s clutches, but he had not thought about seeing her.  He realized if he was going to save her he would have to.  “You will release her to me.”

He only received a sad smile at that.  “Follow me.”

The man led him into the bowels of the complex to a room filled with machinery as well as a table.  When he saw his mother strapped down to that table his eyes bled red.  He pushed his rage down enough to first check to make sure she was alright.  He stepped to her side and was instantly transported back thousands of years.  He was looking at the face that always smiled for him, even when she was hurting.  The face of the woman that showed him that no matter how hard life was it could be made better with the right attitude.  The woman that had loved him and raised him to be the man he became.  He reached out tentatively and touched her hand.  When he felt the warmth she exuded, it was almost his undoing.

He forced his hand to drop before turning to his grandsire.  The storm inside was raging hotter than it ever had.  “You will release her or die.”  He knew his mother would not have wanted this, but he was not going to allow this man to touch her again.

His rage faltered when he realized he felt his father approaching.  He was surprised he had made it here so fast but was relieved.  He turned back to his mother one last time, touching her hand once more before turning to leave.  “D is almost here.  I would suggest you leave as he will not allow her to remain here.”

After the dhampir left, the Sacred Ancestor could only watch the door.  He was beginning to wonder if he had not been wrong all these years.  He followed Adam out the door, thinking to follow, but his attention was drawn back to the room he just left.  His guest was once again awake.

* * *

 

Adam continued to follow his parents at a distance.  He knew he could not get closer, as there was no telling the reaction both might have.  As far as they were concerned he would be an enemy.  Neither knew of his existence yet.  That didn’t stop him from worrying.  He knew there were many more obstacles for the pair and hoped he could find a way to help.

He was camped outside of town when he felt his grandsire attack his mother.  He was instantly up and headed to the town.  He realized the older vampire must have stayed just out of his range until it was too late.  His flight to the town was stopped by the sight of his grandsire appearing in front of him.  He stopped short and looked at the older male with murder in his eyes.

The male only shook his head.  “You of all people should know she is not harmed.  I must admit, this is a first for me.  I always knew you were of my blood, but I never entertained the thought that you were more human than vampire.  Your mother’s blood is much stronger than I realized.”

Adam did not relax his stance.  He had purposely kept this information from his grandsire.  He did not want the man interfering.  “You _will_ leave them alone.”  The threat was clear in his voice.

Again, the man gave him a sad look.  “I have no need to bother them.  This is not what I anticipated but it will accomplish my goals.”  He then gave Adam a contemplative look.  “You still have much to learn but the day will come that you will fulfill your purpose.”

That statement struck a nerve.  Adam lunged at the man, outright attacking him for the first time in his long life.  The vampire never allowed it to connect, instead disappearing into the night.

After that night Adam followed as close to his parents as he could without either of them feeling his presence.  He could completely hide his aura, even from them, but only for short amounts of time.  It meant that he had to stay some distance away most of the time.

When they started back toward the place his mother had first arrived, he realized it was getting close to the time that he would be losing his mother again.  The pain that caused became fresh all over.  He had learned to push the pain away a long time ago, only remembering her as she had been while alive.  Thinking of never seeing her again after this made him realize he had never stopped missing her.

A couple of times when they stopped, he would hide his aura enough to get close enough to see them.  It eased his heart to see that they were truly in love.  His father was not that expressive, but it was easy to see he cherished her.  He treated the small woman with care, often helping her when he didn’t have to.

It wasn’t until they neared the place she first arrived that his grandsire appeared again.  He had been watching from a rise some distance away from the building as his parents approached.  When he felt the vampire appear, he was instantly on alert.  “Why are you here?”

The older male only stood watching the retreating couple for a few minutes before responding.  “Why have you never approached your father?”

This question was unexpected, but Adam recovered quickly.  “There are many reasons, none of which I would like to share with you.”

If his brusque answer fazed the vampire, he didn’t show it.  When he finally turned to face Adam, his face was blank, but the sadness was visible in his eyes.  “Will you approach him now?”

Again, Adam was disconcerted.  It almost seemed as if that would please his grandsire.  He wasn’t sure what the man was planning but he wasn’t about to start being forthcoming with the man now any more than he had been in the past.  “I have no need to tell you what I do or do not plan.”

With another shake of his head, the vampire turned back to the building.  “I will go give my regards.”  He didn’t wait for Adam to respond before disappearing.

Adam instantly realized he planned on interfering with his parents one last time before his mother left.  He wasn’t going to let the old man make this any harder than it had to be.  Instantly he was concealing his aura and racing to where he knew his parents were headed.

He made it to the room where they were in time to see his grandsire fade away.  Neither of his parents looked worse for the encounter, a fact that eased Adam’s worry.  His mother would soon be gone and out of the reach of his grandsire.  He almost turned to leave but found that he could not.  This would be the last time he saw his mother outside of his memories and he found he didn’t want to turn away from her, even if she didn’t know he was there.

When they turned to face each other, he turned his face away, giving them the privacy they deserved.  He could still hear their words, each one breaking his heart a little more.  He knew that his mother had loved his father.  She had said as much but witnessing how much they cared for one another gave him a whole new level of understanding as well as a deeper respect for them both.

When he heard his mother’s whispered goodbye he couldn’t help but turn and watch her fade.  The sight caused a pain as deep as the first time he had watched her leave him.

He was brought out of his own misery when he felt his father’s anguished aura wash over him.  He realized quickly that the man was going to bring the building down on top of himself and didn’t seem to care.  When he saw a piece of the ceiling start to fall he reacted on instinct, rushing to throw his father out of the way of the debris.

He realized what he had done when his father turned wary eyes to him.  He knew he was recognized for what he was as soon as his father’s eyes widened slightly.  He was going to turn quickly and run, not ready to interact with the man yet, but he realized there was a message he needed to give his father.  “She would not have wanted this.  Live and achieve your goals.  That is all she ever wanted.”  With that he turned and sped away, noting that his father did not follow.

He watched from some distance as his father left the building as it collapsed before heading to his horse and leaving without a look back.  He understood the profound loss his father felt at the loss of the woman he had let go.  His own was still tearing him apart.  He realized at that point that his father would seek him out at some point.  He wasn’t sure how that meeting would go, but he did know that he wouldn’t run from it anymore.  He knew neither of them were the type to crave the company of others, but that didn’t mean that they had to always be alone.  If nothing else, they could have each other.  He gave his father’s retreating form a sad smile before turning and heading off into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus it ends... at least for now. I do have a one shot planned for the meeting between D and Adam, but it isn't finished yet. I hope you all enjoyed this tale (I know those are weird words given the sadness, but...). Thank you for reading!


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